Our Board
The Hon. Nicola Roxon (Director, Interim Chair)
The Honourable Nicola Roxon is a non-executive director with broad experience across government, business, and the not-for-profit sector, with an emphasis on health, legal, property and financial services. She currently chairs HESTA, VicHealth and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. She is also a non-executive director on the boards of Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and ASX listed property company Dexus. Prior to the last decade in governance roles, Nicola was the Health Minister from 2007-2011 and Australia’s first female Attorney-General from 2011-2013. Ms Roxon completed an BA/LLB at the University of Melbourne and worked as an industrial lawyer, union official and High Court Associate prior to entering parliament. Over her working life, she has persistently advocated for women and their economic security, and against tobacco companies and the harm they cause in our communities.
Beth Mohle (Director)
Beth is the Deputy Chair of Australian Retirement Trust. Previously, she was the Secretary of the Queensland Nurses’ and Midwives Union (QNMU) and Senior Vice President of the Queensland Council of Unions (QCU). Beth has also served on the board of HESTA, including a term as both Chair and Deputy Chair. In 2008, the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees named Beth Trustee of the Year. Beth was also recognised in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List and awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to industrial relations, the nursing profession, and the superannuation sector. Beth has a Bachelor of Arts, Certificate in General Nursing – Registered Nurse, Postgraduate Certificate in Health Economics, Certificate in Superannuation Management and Certificate of Trusteeship (Superannuation). Beth was a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (FAIST) and completed the ICPM Board Effectiveness Program at The Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto) in 2016.
Casey Nunn (Director)
Casey Nunn ASM OAM, is an experienced board member and values-driven leader. Casey is the Deputy Chair of Vision Super serving as a Member Representative Trustee since 2007. Casey is also the Deputy Chair of the Victorian State Emergency Service and is involved in her community through her daughter’s School Council and other local sporting clubs. Casey has previous experience in local government, serving as Hume’s youngest Mayor from 2013-2014. Casey is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and the previous Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (GAIST Adv.); Casey also holds a Bachelor of Business. In 2019, Casey was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women for her services to the community through emergency services.
Chris Davies (Director)
Chris Davies is the Chief Executive Officer of TelstraSuper and director of Telstra Super Financial Planning Pty Ltd. In 2019, Chris was named the Fund Executive Association Limited (FEAL) Fund Executive of the Year recognising his outstanding contribution to the superannuation industry across several areas including digital innovation, corporate strategy and industry leadership. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) and a Bachelor of Laws and started his career practising law in a national firm before moving to the financial services sector. His experience in the financial services industry has developed over 30 years with senior roles at UniSuper, BT Financial Group and Colonial First State. Chris is also a Workplace Gender Equality Agency Pay Equity Ambassador who is committed to supporting equality and driving change. He is a strong supporter of the profit-to-member superannuation model, and other interests include insurance in super, sustainable investing, and achieving equality in the super system.
David Elia (Director)
David Elia has been the Chief Executive Officer of one of Australia’s leading superannuation Funds HOSTPLUS since August 2003. In a career spanning more than 25 years, his singular vision has helped create businesses that deliver consistently excellent results and real stakeholder value. His wide-ranging experience includes senior roles in superannuation, finance, marketing, corporate and fund governance, taxation, risk management, audit, corporate/strategic planning, and implementation. David’s leadership has been recognised by numerous industry awards, including the Australian Financial Review BOSS True Leader award and the Fund Executives Associations Ltd’s (FEAL’s) Fund Executive of the Year Award. He is especially interested in what makes organisations tick – from creating an innovative culture to leadership values, strategy, and teamwork at all levels. His role as Director of Grangers Foundation is further testament to his dedication to the wider community with funds raised and support provided to a number of charities and worthy causes each year.
Deanne Stewart (Director)
Deanne joined Aware Super as Chief Executive Officer in 2018 and has more than 25 years’ experience in financial services, both in Australia and overseas. She is an expert in super, wealth and insurance. Before leading Aware Super, Deanne was Chief Executive Officer at MetLife. Prior to this, she held senior roles at BT, Westpac, Merrill Lynch and McKinsey & Co.
During her time as CEO, Deanne has overseen some pivotal moments and significant growth, with Aware Super now one of Australia’s largest, top performing pension funds. She led the successful merger of VicSuper and First State Super in 2020 and the launch of the new brand Aware Super. Throughout her time at Aware, Deanne has been a strong advocate for gender equality. She was honoured by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency as a pay equity ambassador in 2019.
Deanne also serves as a Director of the Super Members Council, the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors and non-profit organisation Redkite. A hallmark of Deanne’s career has been a passionate commitment to building and maintaining a strong culture and clearly defined purpose to drive business success.
Dr Don Russell (Director)
Dr Don Russell was appointed as an Independent Director of the AustralianSuper Board on 2 May 2019, and then Chair on 26 September 2019. Since June 2018 Dr Russell has been a director of the Centre for Policy Development. Previous directorships include with CSIRO and Chair of State Super. Until 2018 Dr Russell was the Chief Executive of the South Australian Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Prior to that he was the Chief Executive of the Department of State Development, a role he commenced in 2014. Previous roles include Secretary of the Federal Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education; senior roles at BNY Mellon Asset Management Australia and Sanford C Bernstein, as well as a consultant to the World Bank, Bankers Trust, Westpac and as a Counsellor in the Australian delegation to the OECD in Paris. Between 1993 and 1995 Don served as Australia’s Ambassador to the USA in Washington and between 1985 and 1993, and again in 1996, he was Principal Adviser to the Hon Paul Keating both during his time as Treasurer and Prime Minister. Don has a PhD from the London School of Economics, a MEc from ANU and a BEc (Hons) (First) from Flinders University as well as the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Gregory Mark Armour (Director)
Mark has considerable experience in global funds management and broader financial services, both globally and in Australia. From a beginning with Treasury in Canberra, his career included time living and working in the UK, USA and Hong Kong as well as Australia. Key executive roles included Head of Invesco’s European and Middle Eastern business, their global Institutional business and CEO of Australia, as well as CEO of funds management of AXA Australia. Mark has held numerous Board and Chair roles with Invesco, AXA, National Mutual and other Industry bodies.
James Merlino (Director)
James has more than 20 years’ experience in government, politics and public
administration at both the state and local level, including eight years as the Deputy Premier of Victoria in the Labor Government from 2014 to 2022. During his time in government, he oversaw multi-billion projects and was responsible for the biggest school building program in Victoria’s history via the Victorian School Building Authority. He was also Acting Premier of Victoria for four months in 2021, managing the state’s ongoing response to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
James represented the electoral division of Monbulk in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2022, and held a number of Ministerial portfolios, cabinet positions and parliamentary appointments during his tenure, including Minister for Education from 2014 to 2022 and Minister for Mental Health from 2020 to 2022, and Minister for Emergency Services from 2016 to 2018. On 1 January 2023, James was appointed as a Director and the Independent Chair of Rest Super.
Nick Sherry (Director)
Nick Sherry was Australia’s first Minister for Superannuation from 2007-2009. During that period, he helped steer Australia through the Global Financial Crisis, and established the Cooper and Financial Advice Enquiries which ultimately led to MySuper and Future of Financial Advice reforms. Since leaving politics in 2012 Mr Sherry, amongst many major roles, has or currently holds advisory positions with Citi, EY, DWS, Roc Partners and OECD and chair director FNZ (APAC), Household Capital, GO Sourcing and TWUSUPER. He is a Governor of the PPI (UK). In his pre-parliamentary career, Mr Sherry also helped establish as founding trustee two industry superannuation funds, HOSTPLUS and ClubPlus (Tas). Mr Sherry is an active member of his local community in Devonport, Tasmania, as Chair of Youth, Family and Community Connections, a Not for Profit, drug and alcohol support, accommodation, and family support provider.
The Hon. Wayne Swan (Director)
Wayne is the Chair of Cbus Super, Australia’s leading specialist fund representing those who help build, shape, and maintain Australia. Cbus was founded 40 years ago and provides superannuation and income streams to more than 900,000 members and manages over $90 billion of members’ money. Wayne’s three-decade career in federal politics included being one of the longest-serving and most influential finance ministers in the G20. For nearly six years Wayne was Treasurer of Australia, three of those years as Deputy Prime Minister. His adept steering of the Australian economy through the global financial crisis was recognised with the 2011 Euromoney Finance Minister the Year award. Wayne is also a Commissioner on the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation and a Director of Diatreme.
Sally McManus (non-voting Board member)
Sally McManus was elected as Secretary of the ACTU in 2017, the first woman to hold this position since the creation of the ACTU in 1927. Sally has had a range of jobs; from a pizza deliverer to a cleaner whilst studying for her degree in Philosophy where she achieved First Class Honours and was also the President of University Union. Sally gained a Traineeship with the ACTU in 1994, then became an Organiser. Sally was then elected to the role of Branch Secretary with the ASU. Whilst there she led many campaigns in the private, public and community sectors including the first collective agreement for IBM workers anywhere in the world, the anti-privatisation campaign at Sydney Water as well as the Equal Pay Campaign for Community Workers. This was a seven-year campaign that delivered pay increases of between 18% and 40%.
Stephen Ferguson (non-voting Board member)
Stephen Ferguson is the CEO of the Australian Hotels Association (AHA), the national voice of Australia’s vibrant hotel industry. The AHA is an employer peak body in the hotel and hospitality industry registered under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009. The AHA represents more than 6,000 hotels from country pubs to five-star accommodation hotels, which provide 270,000 jobs, generate over $12 Billion economic benefit, and support over 50,000 community groups. National areas of responsibility include workplace relations, migration, tourism, preventative health and alcohol policy, taxation, competition policy, and superannuation. Prior to his role with the AHA, Stephen was CEO of the Brisbane Racing Club, the owner of Doomben and Eagle Farm Racecourses. BRC’s core business is thoroughbred horse racing, supported by a diverse portfolio including property development, gaming, hospitality and events. Stephen holds a Masters of Business Administration, Bachelor of Social Science and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
