Mutual sector adviser Matt Gijselman brings two decades of policy experienc
The Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) has appointed policy and advocacy specialist Matt Gijselman (pictured left) as the industry representative on the Customer Owned Banking Code Compliance Committee (COBCCC), effective immediately.
The appointment follows an independent review of the Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice that COBA launched in December 2025. The association is working with code subscribers on the industry’s response to its recommendations.
What the committee does
The COBCCC is an independent body that monitors compliance with the code, which sets standards for Australia’s mutual banks and credit unions that are higher than the law requires. COBA represents 51 customer-owned banks, which serve more than 5.4 million Australians and hold $196 billion in assets, according to the association’s March 2026 release.
As industry representative, Gijselman will give the committee insight into how customer-owned banks operate and are structured, so its oversight stays practical and informed.
Two decades in policy and advocacy
Gijselman brings more than 20 years of policy and advocacy experience and a deep understanding of the mutual sector. He worked with Abacus, the organisation now known as COBA, and later advised the association during the 2018 Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.
No customer-owned bank was called before that inquiry or criticised by it. Even so, the peak body says the sector has carried a heavy load of post-commission legislation.
His career spans a stint as senior adviser to a federal Cabinet minister, leading regulatory engagement on credit reporting reforms at Arca, and senior public affairs roles at Equifax, Infrastructure Australia, and the NRMA.
COBA chief executive Michael Lawrence (pictured right) said Gijselman “will bring practical and operational insights to the Committee’s work”.
Lawrence said the committee’s role was to keep the sector’s customer-first ethos on track, adding that “the COBCCC helps ensure this commitment remains robust”. He hands over to incoming CEO Yasser El-Ansary on 2 November.
‘Honoured to join’
Gijselman said his time working alongside the sector had shown him the depth of its community commitment.
“I look forward to contributing to the ongoing strength and integrity of the Code of Practice,” he said.
