Nicolette Rubinsztein is to leave her position as general manager, retirement, at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and join UniSuper’s board as an independent director from December 1, 2015.

She will succeed Melda Donnelly, whose term ended in August, as the third independent on the board, bringing with her a skill set in retirement income products.

In total the UniSuper board has 11 directors, including Chris Cuffe and Ian Martin as independents.

Cuffe, chair of the $50 billion fund, said that it was not so much about being independent or otherwise, rather it was about having people on the board with the right mix of skills, talent and experience to deliver the right outcomes for members.

“Ian Martin and I, as independent directors on the UniSuper Board, already bring extensive investment management experience,” Cuffe said. “The area we were really looking to deepen through this appointment was expertise in retirement income products.  Nicolette has an incredibly strong background in this area and, along with the insights she brings from a retail background, she fits the bill perfectly.”

Rubinsztein has previously held senior positions at Colonial First State, BT Funds Management. She has also been a director of the Association of Superannuation Funds Australia Board for the past eight years. She is also a qualified actuary, holds a Master of Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

She said: “UniSuper has an enviable reputation within the industry not only as a superannuation fund, but for its in-house funds management, administration and financial advice services.”

She will continue to work at the CBA for the next two months.