CEO of Mine Wealth + Wellbeing resigns
Bruce Watson, chief executive of Mine Wealth + Wellbeing (formerly AUSCOAL Super), will leave the super fund over the coming months after 23 years of service to Australia’s mining community. Watson is the sixth superannuation and investment chief executive to resign since July – the other resignations were from Victorian Funds Management Company, TCorp, QSuper, … Read more
Gloomy forecast for Japanese corporate governance
A pessimistic view of Japanese corporate governance reforms was heard by prominent Australian institutional investors last night at the CFA Market Forecast dinner in Melbourne. Charles Yang, chief investment officer of T&D Asset Management and past chair of the CFA Institute Board of Governors, gave his assessment of the stewardship and corporate governance codes launched … Read more
HOSTPLUS will never divest from infrastructure
HOSTPLUS will never divest from infrastructure, despite record valuations, because of the cash flow it brings into the fund coupled with the rarity of obtaining the asset. At a time of high valuations in the asset class, research by some organisations such as Frontier Advisors, has suggested the selling of infrastructure might be a good … Read more
Club Plus Super appoints head of investments
Club Plus Super has appointed Gemma Dooley, formerly of Perpetual, as its head of investments. Dooley will be responsible for implementing the trustee’s investment strategy, overseeing Club Plus Super’s investment governance functions and managing relationships with the fund’s asset consultant (Jana), custodian (NAB) and external investment managers. Her previous positions have included general manager of … Read more
VicSuper incorporating natural capital into investment decisions
Natural capital is the stock of natural resources, including land, air, water and living organisms, which yield goods and services thereby providing inputs, both directly and indirectly, to businesses and society. The Natural Capital Declaration (NCD) is a global initiative run for financial institutions that aims to price in the full value of natural capital into … Read more
Superannuation elevated to cabinet level
Turnbull’s cabinet reshuffle has seen the position of Assistant Treasurer elevated to the cabinet level, bringing with it the portfolio for superannuation and financial services. Kelly O’Dwyer has been appointed as the new Assistant Treasurer replacing Josh Frydenberg who has now become the Minster for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia. Tom Garcia, chief executive of … Read more
Super funds get closer to optimal long term investing
Superannuation funds are tapping into a global research project to find a new form of long-term investment management. The Thinking Ahead Institute is pooling feedback from a group of 31 international fund managers and pension funds to help create the structure for a long term mandate that has scale, low fees and ultimately gives members … Read more
APRA must stand alone
It may have gone unnoticed by many, but Friday 26 June 2015 was a highly unusual day in the history of superannuation legislation and our parliamentary process. On the same day that the government released exposure draft legislation to change governance arrangements in superannuation for public consultation, APRA wrote to RSE licensees to outline its … Read more
Sunsuper board now one third ‘independent’
Sunsuper has moved to a one third independent, one third employer and one third employee representative model for its board. Michael Traill AM and Andrew Fraser will start their duties as independents this month and will join Jenni Mack who was appointed as the fund’s first independent in July. All were unanimously selected by the … Read more
Sunsuper finds its voice
A confident public speaker and a voice on investment trends and macroeconomic conditions, Brian Parker joined Sunsuper in the newly created post of chief economist in June, after nearly 10 years at NAB Asset Management. He explains his new role to Investment Magazine. Banks, large fund managers and governments employ chief economists, but until now it is not a common job … Read more
