HESTA’s incoming chair, former federal health minister Nicola Roxon, said the industry superannuation fund’s commitment to responsible investment was one of the drawcards of the role.

“I have long admired HESTA for its leadership in responsible investment and stewardship and its gutsy advocacy on issues that matter for members,” Roxon said in a statement.

On Wednesday, the $46 billion fund for the health and community services sector announced that its current chair, Angela Emslie, who has held the position since 2010, would step down on December 31 and be replaced as independent chair by Roxon.

This latest role adds to Roxon’s other health-related board appointments.

She is chair of health insurer Bupa Australia and New Zealand, and of the Cancer Council Australia. To focus on HESTA, she will step down from her positions as chair of the Accounting Professional & Ethical Standards Board and adjunct professor in the College of law and Justice at Victoria University.

Commenting on Roxon’s appointment, HESTA chief executive Debby Blakey said: “Her rich experience in health and governance will be a huge asset as we continue to focus on being leaders in the superannuation sector.”

Outgoing chair Emslie had been a director of the fund for more than two decades and was named 2018 Trustee of the Year by the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees. She was president of the industry body from 2014 to 2016 and was a strong supporter of the equal representation trustee governance model.

She is currently  a director of asset consultant Frontier Advisors and Suicide Prevention Australia.