CommBank kids' pocket money app, Kit, has a new chief marketing officer, with former Stan CMO Melanie Novacan taking up the reins from this week.

It's a return to the financial services category for Novacan, who has previously worked as head of marketing and communications for ING Australia, head of brand, acquisition and sponsorship for CommSec, and was also the inaugural CMO of homegrown fintech, Stockspot, which was acquired last year by South Korea-based Mirae Asset for a reported $18 million.

Novacan has also played in other sectors however, and spent three years as the CMO of Stan between 2015 and 2018. In recent years, she's worked as fractional CMO and was GM of marketing, brand and digital for Cronulla Sharks last year. As well as Stockspot, she has advised in other startups since as software player, Deputy.

Novacan takes over the Kit CMO post from Claire McIntyre, who left the position in May and switch to the role of executive manager of strategy and operations, digital experiences domain within the bigger bank.

Novacan said she was attracted to the role because of its mission to improve the financial capability of the next generation - "our future", she told Mi3.

"Understanding healthy eating, exercising and moneying habits is crucial for every generation. Kids today are faced with gremlins we never faced, whether they be social or societal or financial," she said. "I have a respect for all parents, caregivers and educators. The many demands on carers to help children navigate so many parts of todays' digital era - and the divides that need more financial literacy.

"Kit provides an easy, connected, online way for carers and kids to connect online, to learn good money habits, to have goals together. To pave a way for any kid to be financially literate, and financial capable of future challenges."

Novacan reports to Kit MD, Yish Koh, who she described as a "true digital disruptor", who came out of CommBank's x15 Ventures business and portfolio to become the full-time MD of Kit in May 2022.

"My remit is to help the carers of kids in Australia, to help them help their kids be smart with their resources. I also report to them," Novacan continued. "As far as my reporting lines go, I'm backed by the largest financial institution in Australia to make that a reality."

The role at Kit includes setting brand, marketing and content strategy, with an emphasis on designing an owned, earned and paid content strategy. The remit is also about managing the partnership with CBA across branches, product teams and CommBank's Yello loyalty program, customer lifecycle management, taking accountability for marketing risk and the P&L, plus working with product, data and design.

"Kit is on a mission to improve the wellbeing of the next generation in Australia - through literacy, education and fundamental financial capability. There may be a role for Kit to play in kitting out kids that don't have the kit they need today - that may be the challenge and the opportunity," Novacan added.

Kit is one of the first products to come out of CommBank's business incubation investment arm, which launched in early 2020 to invest in ventures that would drive loyalty and innovation at the big four bank. 

Having debuted with a goal of investing in 25 ventures, X15 chief Toby Norton-Smith told Mi3 in December it had since invested in 14 ventures, progressed nine ventures across app-based education tools, ecommerce, payments and fintech services, and closed down four.