Rest fills chief member post after 6-month search

Australian superannuation fund, Rest, has appointed Simone Van Veen as its new Chief Member Officer, succeeding Deborah Potts who departed the fund in December last year.

A seasoned financial services and banking professional, Van Veen brings over 25 years of industry experience and working closely with members to the role at Rest. Her previous roles include Chief Member Officer at Bank First in Melbourne and in several senior member experience roles across a 15-year term at National Australia Bank.

Rest chief executive, Vicki Doyle, welcomed Van Veen to the fund’s leadership team and thanked Andrew Ford, General Manager, Brand and Member Experience, for stepping in as Interim Chief Member Officer after Potts first stepped down from the role.

“We are dedicated to simplifying the experience of super for our 2 million members and empowering them to shape a future where they can reach their best-possible retirement outcomes. Our ambition is to support our members through easy and seamless digital experiences, alongside the right advice, tools and products,” she said.

“We aim to be digital leaders within the super industry and are proud that 1 million Rest members have now downloaded our Rest App and that we are among the first to offer our members the convenience of a digital member card.

“Simone brings a highly commercial focus to Rest, alongside deep digital experience, that is anchored in strong leadership skills and customer-centric values. Simone’s appointment supports Rest’s focus on our members, while also recognising the importance of our strategic partner and employer relationships at a crucial juncture for Rest and the superannuation industry more broadly.

“We are delighted to welcome Simone to the Rest team and are excited to work with her to achieve our mission to make super simple for our more than 2 million members. I’d like to acknowledge and thank Andrew for stepping in during the past 6 months and leading our Member team as they continued to simplify super for our members.”

Van Veen will commence in the role from 25 August, based in Melbourne.

“Superannuation is central to shaping the future of working Australians,” she said.

“It’s a privilege to be joining Rest as Chief Member Officer and lead a team with a well-earned reputation for championing members.”