AustralianSuper appoints first retirement lead

Yasmine Raso

Senior Journalist, Financial Newswire

11 November 2022

As a testament to its renewed focus on supporting members through their retirement journey, AustralianSuper has appointed former Group Executive Member Experience, Shawn Blackmore, as its inaugural Chief Officer Retirement.

This comes as the fund also appointed former Group Executive Membership and Brand, Rose Kerlin, as its new Chief Member Officer.

Paul Schroder, AustralianSuper’s chief executive, said the appointments of Blackmore and Kerlin formed part of a broader review of executive capabilities within the fund to ensure it is on its way to deliver growth and its 2030 strategy.

“AustralianSuper is committed to being a leader in retirement for members. With over 900,000 members over the age of 50, AustralianSuper members are counting on us to ensure we are there for them before retirement, in the transition to retirement and also in retirement,” he said.

Blackmore said he was pleased to be taking on a new role at AustralianSuper after nine years in his most recent position.

“Retirement isn’t simply a product solution. It is about combining product, service and advice into an offering that is accessible to all members regardless of their account balance,” he said.

“Every member’s retirement journey is different, and our role is to ensure that they have the confidence they need to spend the superannuation savings they have worked so hard for throughout their working lives to achieve the kind of retirement they want.”

The appointments also come as the fund is expected to grow from its current $263 billion in member assets under management (AUM) to $1 trillion, after it recorded 635,000 new members and net inflows of over $25 billion in the past 12 months to June.

“AustralianSuper is committed to generating strong long-term performance for members and these appointments are an essential part of achieving that goal,” Schroder said.