Neil Cochrane, the retired Colonial First State Global Asset Management deputy still best known for his five-year stint running REST Super from 2001 , has become chair of another prominent not-for-profit super fund.

Cochrane has been appointed chairman of the $6.7 billion Commonwealth Bank Officers Superannuation Fund, replacing Les Cupper at the helm of one of Australia’s largest corporate super funds.

It is the first professional role assumed by Cochrane since he announced his retirement in February from the position of deputy chief executive and head of business development at Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFS GAM).

At that time, a CFS GAM spokesperson told I&T News that Cochrane aimed to be appointed to several non-executive roles that would be of “considerable assistance” to CFS GAM and its parent, the Commonwealth Bank.

He joined CFS GAM in mid-2006, after a five-year tenure as chief executive officer of the $14 billion REST Superannuation.

Prior to this, Cochrane worked in the financial services industry in South Africa, his country of birth, to help rebuild the nation as it moved on from the Apartheid era.

Before this return to South Africa, he held business development roles with AMP and Colonial First State in Australia.

Cochrane could not be reached for comment by presstime.