The $2.7 billion, 21,000-member ESI Super has a new chief executive, following the previous incumbent’s decision to move to Cambodia as a microfinancier.

Robyn Petrou started as CEO last week, after relocating her family to ESI’s home town of Brisbane from Sydney, where she had been running compliance, operations and strategy for Asset Super. Petrou remains a director of the Fund Executives Association (FEAL).

ESI’s board, chaired by Bob Henricks, completed a strategy paper late last year which Petrou is charged with delivering upon. She said the strategies centered around member retention and growth for the energy industry fund, but also recommended it soon appoint a master custodian – until now it has invested only in pooled products and as such has not required a custodian.

Petrou’s predecessor at ESI, Karen Gibson, has recently moved to Cambodia with her husband, to help run microfinance projects benefiting that county’s poor.