Merged fund executives announced
10 September 2021
5
min read
Following the Heads of Agreement to pursue a merger and the announcement of a CEO and Board to oversee the merged fund, Bernard Reilly, CEO of the merged fund, has announced appointments to the executive team.
The appointed executives have the right mix of expertise and experience to deliver outstanding services, greater efficiencies and lower costs for the merged fund’s 2 million members and their $200 billion in retirement savings.
Future CEO
Bernard Reilly
Bernard Reilly has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sunsuper since October 2019. Prior to joining Sunsuper, he was a member of the Board Investment Committee at NSW Treasury Corporation and spent more than 25 years with State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), most recently in the role of Executive Vice President, Global Head of Strategy.
With a proven track record in leading large-scale enterprises, both domestically and offshore, Bernard brings a global perspective and experience in managing and transforming complex organisations. Prior to being appointed CEO of Sunsuper, a highlight of Bernard’s career was steering a new global strategic direction and growth program for SSGA.
Bernard is a CEO with exceptional investment and risk-governance leadership credentials. He brings an in-depth understanding of global asset management and broad strategic experience in superannuation, funds management and enterprise transformation.
Above all else, Bernard has a deep commitment to the mission of serving the best interests of members.
Anthony Rose
Chief Financial Officer
Anthony is a highly qualified Chief Financial Officer with more than 30 years’ experience in financial services across investment banking and retail/business banking. He has strong experience across all elements of a business, a deep understanding of investment markets and a passion for delivering great customer outcomes.
In his most recent role, Anthony worked as Managing Director, Financial Institutions Group for Credit Suisse Australia. Prior to that he worked at Bank of Queensland for more than seven years where he held a variety of executive leadership positions including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Interim Chief Executive. He was also Chief Financial Officer at Suncorp Bank, and Director, Financial Institutions Group, Investment Banking at both Citi Australia and Merrill Lynch Australia.
Dave Woodall
Chief Growth Officer
Dave joined Sunsuper in 2015. As Executive General Manager, Employer Growth, he is responsible for the delivery of our award-winning services to Sunsuper’s corporate, institutional, regional and small-business customer segments, and our industry-leading payroll distribution platform, Beam.
Dave has more than 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry across retail and institutional markets. He has led high-performing teams in sales, relationship management, financial advice, marketing and communications. Prior to Sunsuper, Dave held a range of leadership and Growth roles at NAB, Plum, ING and AMP.
Prior to his current role, Dave was Sunsuper’s Head of Corporate and Institutional where he was responsible for leading Sunsuper’s national sales and acquisition activities and managing our corporate and institutional customer segment.
Ian Patrick
Chief Investment Officer
Ian joined Sunsuper in 2015. As Sunsuper’s Chief Investment Officer, he and his team are responsible for developing the Fund’s investment philosophy and strategy, dynamic asset allocation and executing investments in a broad range of asset classes, all while maintaining a strong emphasis on governance and maximising members’ returns.
Ian has more than 25 years’ experience in the institutional investment industry. Prior to joining Sunsuper, Ian was Chief Executive Officer at JANA Investment Advisers from 2008. He was also Head of Global Equities at JANA, and worked previously for Mercer.
During Ian’s tenure as CIO, Sunsuper’s funds under management have grown from $32 billion to $86 billion. Ian’s commitment to building Sunsuper’s internal investment team has ensured Sunsuper is in a position to bring new ideas, opportunities and deals into the portfolio to achieve the best outcomes for members.
Karin Muller
Chief Member Officer
Karin joined QSuper in 2015 and is currently QSuper’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). Karin leads the member support and operations division, which has accountability for member services, superannuation administration and business support, bringing together the contact centre, digital, information technology, transformation delivery, advice, operations and technical advice teams.
Karin has over 30 years’ experience in financial services having helped various organisations in Australia, South Africa and Europe transform their business through technology. She has a broad range of experience within technology and business that includes large-scale transformation projects, driving efficiencies through change.
Prior to her role as COO, Karin led QSuper’s information technology division for three years, where she was responsible for delivering and implementing the IT strategy and ensuring alignment to the QSuper Group strategy.
Helen Jackson
Chief People Officer
Helen is a highly skilled senior executive with a strong commercial perspective and extensive experience in transformational culture change, organisational development and human resource management.
She has 35 years’ experience in both mature and start-up environments across diverse industry sectors and organisational cultures in Australia and globally. With much of her early career in industrial relations, Helen has held a range of senior consulting and permanent roles at organisations including Queensland Rail, Westpac, Ernst & Young and the NSW Government.
Most recently, Helen worked with the engineering consulting business Advisian, a business line of Worley Group. In her four-year tenure, she developed and executed the HR strategy for APAC and Globally, including creating a comprehensive culture program, and supporting the integration of the Advisian business as part of the WorleyParsons and Jacobs ECR merger in 2019.
Phil Fraser
Chief of QInsure
Phil joined QSuper in 2018 and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of QInsure, Australia’s first life insurance company owned by a profit‑for‑members superannuation fund. Phil is responsible for leading the operational and strategic direction of QInsure, with decisions regarding product design and individual claim matters made with members’ interests at heart.
With more than 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry, starting his career as a chartered accountant, he has led finance, insurance, technology and operations teams. Phil has held executive roles in the United Kingdom and Australia, in organisations including Standard Life, QSuper and Credit Union Australia.
Phil first joined QSuper in 2010 in the role of Head of Corporate Finance and Performance, returning in 2018 from CUA. Since becoming CEO of QInsure, Phil has led a strategic review and transformation program to deliver uplifts in capability, culture and customer experience.
Anne Browne
Chief Risk Officer
Anne joined QSuper in 2014 and is currently QSuper’s Chief Risk Officer. Anne is accountable for governance, risk, compliance, legal, secretariat, internal audit and investment performance and operations. Anne is also responsible for relationships with key regulators and for reporting risk and compliance matters to the Audit and Risk Committee.
Anne has more than 27 years’ experience in the financial services industry. She has held a range of senior roles at UBS, both in Australia and Switzerland, including APAC Head of Operational Risk, Chief of Staff for Group Risk Control and Executive Director of the Group CFO Office.
Prior to her role as Chief Risk Officer, Anne was QSuper’s Head of Risk and Compliance. During Anne’s time at QSuper she has led the regulatory and licence approval process for the establishment of QInsure, established an executive Operational Risk Committee and implemented a risk culture framework.
Teifi Whatley
Chief Strategy Officer
Teifi joined Sunsuper in 2000. As Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, she is responsible for Sunsuper’s strategy and vision with particular oversight of the Fund’s strategic direction and change, corporate affairs, strategic communications and corporate social responsibility functions.
Teifi has had an extensive career in the financial services industry with more than 35 years’ marketing, customer and product experience in large institutions both in Australia and the UK. She has also been a Director of SuperFriend Industry Funds’ Mental Health Initiative since 2007.
Prior to her current role, Teifi led Sunsuper’s brand and customer marketing, product and technology functions, and was responsible for the design and delivery of industry-leading product and service experiences for members, employers and advisers through digital and technological capability.
Rod Greenaway
Chief Technology Officer
Rod joined Sunsuper in 2018. As Sunsuper’s Chief Technology Officer, he is responsible for leading the design, implementation and operation of IT services, architecture, cyber security and applications development in order to meet the Fund’s current and future technology requirements.
Rod is a technology and operations executive with more than 30 years’ experience, mostly in the financial services sector, including a recent tenure in the New South Wales Government. Rod’s career has spanned management consulting, strategy and planning, large-scale outsourcing programs and offshoring, shared services and business process outsourcing, delivery and operations.
Prior to his current role, Rod was Head of Platform Enablement at Sunsuper, which spanned cloud, hosting, networks, security, data platforms, integration services, service management and operations. He successfully led the Fund’s COVID-19 technology response, which included migrating more than 1,000 staff to working from home.
Deanne Wilden
General Counsel
Deanne joined QSuper in 2019 as Associate General Counsel.
Deanne has more than 20 years’ experience in the financial services sector. Prior to joining QSuper, she was Associate General Counsel at Queensland Investment Corporation where she led the Global Infrastructure and Global Private Capital legal team. Deanne has also worked in senior legal roles at ANZ Bank, Queensland Treasury Corporation, Herbert Smith Freehills and Allens.
Deanne has played an integral role in the planned merger of Sunsuper and QSuper, advising the QSuper Board and engaging with stakeholders in relation to the merger. Deanne currently leads the joint project team responsible for risk, legal, compliance and regulatory aspects of the proposed merger.
Two additional executives have been appointed to roles that will form part of the merged fund’s broader leadership group:
Charles Woodhouse
Deputy Chief Investment Officer
Charles joined QSuper in 2009 and is currently QSuper’s Chief Investment Officer, responsible for steering QSuper’s investment philosophy and executing the Fund’s award-winning investment strategy. Day-to-day, his responsibilities include leading the investment team and research into market trends and investment processes. His role involves asset allocation, currency policy, fund-level strategies and risk budgets.
With over 25 years’ investment industry experience, Charles joined QSuper from Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) where he was Director of Alpha Investments. Before QIC, he had an 11-year career with Stonebridge Capital Management in Australia and the US, including five years as Managing Director.
Prior to his role as CIO, Charles was QSuper’s Head of Funds Management for 10 years, responsible for directing QSuper's investments with external service providers, implementing investment policy decisions and structuring potential investments to benefit members.
Lachlan East
Chief of Staff
Lachlan joined Sunsuper in 2012. In his role as Executive General Manager, Risk, Legal and Compliance, he is responsible for Sunsuper’s risk, legal, compliance, and assurance functions, including Sunsuper’s adherence to all relevant legislation and best-practice compliance practices, and managing our relationships with key regulators.
Lachlan has more than 20 years’ experience across the accounting and financial services industries. Prior to joining Sunsuper, Lachlan spent more than 12 years working at international banking organisations predominantly in investment markets compliance roles based in Australia, Hong Kong and Japan.
During his time at Sunsuper, Lachlan has been responsible for leading the Fund’s governance function, developing the risk culture plan, significantly uplifting Sunsuper’s risk management framework, and driving Sunsuper’s response to the Royal Commission into Financial Services.
The Chief People Officer and Chief Financial Officer have already commenced in their roles to work on the integration planning phase of the merger.
All other appointments to the merged fund’s executive team will be effective from the merger date, which remains subject to a range of conditions, including regulatory, legislative and final board approvals.