Industry & regulation
YFYS performance test has done its dash
The Coalition’s Your Future Your Super reforms, especially the contentious performance test, deserve credit for weeding out poor-performing funds and helping instil a more cost-conscious culture in super. But the test has largely accomplished its mission and its continuation undermines the system’s global competitiveness.
Featured Homepage Posts
Mercer Super CEO Claire Ross departs
Mercer Super chief executive Claire Ross will exit the $85 billion retail fund after less than two years at helm, with Mercer Pacific chief financial officer Court Haas to take up the top job on an interim basis.
Featured Homepage Posts
Aware Super hunts hidden AI exposures as concentration concern grows
The $205 billion Aware Super says that around 15 per cent of assets in its high-growth option are exposed to the AI thematic, but says that finding the portfolio’s true concentration will require looking beyond simple dollar aggregation. Head of investment strategy Michael Winchester unpacks the approach and why the fund has to be “really discerning” with where it allocates to in the future.
Analysis
AustralianSuper’s India investment shows the pointy end of super diplomacy
AustralianSuper’s decision to tip $500 million into an Indian government infrastructure fund comes amidst increased belligerence from China and represents an escalation in the super fund diplomacy that the Albanese Government has used to deepen economic and political ties with key allies.
21 July, 2026
Insurance in Super Summit
19 August, 2026
Retirement Leaders Summit
13 – 15 October, 2026
Fiduciary Investors Symposium
Leadership & profiles
TCorp CIO to retire after decade building out total portfolio approach
NSW Treasury Corporation chief investment officer Stewart Brentnall will retire from full-time employment within the next 12 months, ending a tenure of almost a decade in which he built and embedded the total portfolio approach across the roughly $125 billion the fund manages on behalf of the NSW Government.
Leadership & profiles
GESB CEO calls time: ‘Past regime of default super’ no longer sustainable
GESB chief executive Ben Palmer is set to leave the Western Australian government super fund, ending a 13-year tenure after steering the fund through the most significant change in its history. In a rare interview, Palmer examines the past, present and future of super and explains why GESB is treating platforms, not profit-to-member funds, as its benchmark.
Profiles
Why HESTA’s ‘joined-up thinking’ is one of its CIO’s favourite things
Sonya Sawtell-Rickson joined HESTA as the health industry workers’ super fund was taking steps towards investment internalisation and a total portfolio approach. She says the moves have been vindicated not only by member returns but in the “joined-up” conversations the now-$96 billion fund has with the companies it invests in.
Retirement
Retail, small funds pull ahead on member retirement satisfaction
The CoreData/Conexus Financial Best Possible Retirement research reveals a gap in member satisfaction between small funds and large funds, and between industry funds and retail funds. But the message for all funds is clear: members want and need more support not only as they move into retirement, but also after they’re in it.
Governance
HESTA seeks answers over ‘deeply concerning’ Richard White allegations
HESTA wants answers from WiseTech on how it will manage the role of executive chair Richard White after reports emerged that the Australian Federal Police are investigating him over human trafficking and visa fraud allegations.
Governance
Shield, First Guardian reforms must not become a covert operation to restrict competition
There is broad consensus in industry and Canberra that the collapses of the Shield and First Guardian master funds – and failures that led to them – demand a regulatory response. But getting that response wrong could create an uneven playing field in the industry and some counterproductive consumer outcomes.
Industry & regulation
It’s time for a complete restructure of performance testing
A growing super system that is increasing in complexity and systemic importance warrants a better performance assessment framework. But the recent consultation on the YFYS performance test only focuses on modifying the existing test without changing its essential nature.
Investments
Why UniSuper’s John Pearce thinks the data centre party is winding down
The demand for AI driving data centre construction might be “insatiable”, but the chief investment officer of the $166 billion UniSuper thinks that investors could be taking on technology debt and misreading the regulatory tea leaves as they rush to buy digital infrastructure.
Investments
NZ Super cuts benchmark return expectation on US valuation concerns
A view that the US stock market is overvalued and equity risk premia will be lower over the long term has driven New Zealand Super to lower the return expectations for its reference portfolio following its recent five-yearly review of the benchmark.
