Tom Garcia has been appointed chief executive officer of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST) following the departure of former CEO, Fiona Reynolds, in January this year.

Garcia, who has been executive manager, policy and research for the past two years at AIST, begins in the role immediately.

AIST president, Cate Wood, made the announcement this afternoon, saying Garcia has played a pivotal role with respect to AIST’s advocacy on issues affecting members of not-for-profit super funds, including superannuation reforms and governance.

“He has a deep understanding of the superannuation landscape and the board is confident he will build on the success of AIST as a vocal and influential peak body for Australia’s $500-billion not-for-profit sector.”

Garcia was a senior manager at Industry Fund Financial Planning for four years before joining AIST and says he’s looking forward to his new leadership role, to engagement with staff, member funds and other industry stakeholders on superannuation policy outcomes delivering the best interests of members.

“As we’ve seen in the past few weeks, Australians are increasingly concerned about the future of their retirement savings and how policy changes affect them. In addition to implementing the Stronger Super reforms this year, the industry must focus on working together with government, regulators and other stakeholders to ensure that the policy settings of our retirement system are both sustainable and equitable over the long term.”

AIST says Garcia plans to meet with all AIST member funds in the near future to discuss their requirements and interactions with AIST.

Reynolds, who was with CMSF for 17 years and the last five as chief executive of AIST, has taken up the role of managing director of the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investing (UNPRI), based in London.