NAB names Kanishka Raja as CEO of Ubank

Raja has held leadership roles in Ubank for the past four years.

The National Australia Bank (NAB) Group has appointed Kanishka Raja to head its digital bank subsidiary Ubank.

Raja’s appointment as chief executive officer is effective immediately, according to an announcement on 3 September 2025.

He succeeds Philippa Watson, who departed in June 2025.

Prior to his new appointment, Raja had led the home lending business and everyday banking, growth, and data & analytics teams of Ubank.

Raja had also previously held leadership roles with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) spanning strategy, performance, data & analytics. He also spent years working with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Beginning January 2026, Raja reports to PEte Steel, NAB group executive of digital, data & AI.