Our people

Paul Schroder

Chief Executive

'We’re focused on being Australia’s leading superannuation fund for members.'

Paul Schroder was appointed Chief Executive of AustralianSuper from 1 October 2021 and is responsible for the leadership and strategic development of the Fund as well as provision of advice to the board. Paul joined AustralianSuper in 2007. He was Group Executive Membership from 2013-2016 before taking on the role of Group Executive Product, Brand & Reputation from 2016-2019. Paul was appointed the Fund’s first Chief Risk Officer in 2019. Prior to joining AustralianSuper Paul was National Secretary of the Finance Sector Union of Australia. Paul is a Director of Industry Super Australia Pty Ltd (ISA) and Australian Council of Superannuation Investors Ltd (ACSI). He is also a member of the IFM Shareholder Advisory Board and a Steering Committee Member of Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index (MMGPI). Paul holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a diploma in Financial Planning.

 

Mark Delaney

Chief Investment Officer and Deputy Chief Executive

’Delivering strong, long term returns to members is our goal.'

Mark is Chief Investment Officer and Deputy Chief Executive of AustralianSuper, acting as an advisor to the board and responsible for the strategic direction and performance of the Fund’s investment program. Mark started in the role of Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Investment Officer of AustralianSuper on 1 July 2006, the date Australian Super commenced operation. Prior to this, Mark was Chief Executive of the Superannuation Trust of Australia (STA) for three years before the merger with ARF to form AustralianSuper. Before AustralianSuper, Mark worked for 14 years at National Mutual/AXA, first as an Economist and later as Senior Manager of Investment Services. He previously spent four years working as an Economist in the Federal Department of Treasury. Mark is currently a Director on the IFM Investor Advisory Board. He has a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

 

Paula Benson

Chief Officer Strategy & Corporate Affairs

'We’re making informed, strategic decisions to continue to deliver meaningful outcomes for members and build community confidence in AustralianSuper.’

Paula is responsible for leading the teams that set the strategic direction for AustralianSuper, harness insights to improve our understanding of members, communicate our purpose, enhance the Fund’s reputation, advocate for improved member outcomes and support the Investments program. Paula joined the Fund in September 2023 and is an experienced non-executive director and senior corporate affairs executive. Paula has held senior positions in NYSE and ASX firms and has 25 years’ experience across funds management and banking, mining and resources, infrastructure, health, education and media. Her previous roles include Head of Global Marketing, Brand & Communications, IFM Investors and Executive General Manager, Corporate Affairs, National Australia Bank (NAB). She has also served on the Boards of Victorian Funds Management Corporation, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust and Port of Melbourne. Paula holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales and a Masters of Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

 

Shawn Blackmore

Chief Officer Retirement

 ‘Every member’s retirement journey is different. Our role is to ensure members have the confidence they need to achieve their best financial position in retirement.’

Shawn is accountable for delivering a holistic and industry leading retirement offer for members, providing leadership across the superannuation system to ensure settings that support all Australians live well in retirement. Shawn joined the Fund in 2007 and was appointed Group Executive, Member Experience in July 2013, where he was accountable for the Fund’s product, administration and member services, across super, retirement and insurance. Prior to this, Shawn held the position of General Manager of Operations at AustralianSuper. Shawn has more than 21 years of financial services experience with roles in operations, product, administration and sales for companies including BT Financial Group and Perpetual, and has worked at the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. Shawn holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance & Investment.

 

Peter Curtis

Chief Operating Officer

‘We use our scale to enhance simplicity, drive efficiency and reduce costs, leading to better outcomes for members.'

Peter is responsible for the management of Finance, Legal, Technology Services, Investment and Member Operations, Data Services, Compliance & Operational Risk and Delivery and Improvement. Peter joined AustralianSuper in 2006 to lead the Investment Operations team through a significant period of growth and change, supporting the internalisation of investment management activities and the build out of the global footprint of the Fund.  Peter was appointed Group Executive, Finance and Operations in 2019 to lead the newly created Finance and Operations division. In April 2022, Peter was appointed the Chief Operating Officer for the Fund to bring together all operations activities into a single group to ensure the Fund was leveraging its scale for the benefit of members.  Prior to joining AustralianSuper, Peter held a number of senior roles with National Custodian Services (part of National Australia Bank) including Head of Product Development and Head of Financial Reporting. He has also held previous positions as Head of Corporate Services at National Investment Services and Head of Finance and Administration at County NatWest Australia Investment Limited. Peter holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Melbourne and qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

 

Michele Glover

Chief Colleague Officer

'To deliver top performance for members, our aim is to have an engaged, high-performing global workforce.'

Michele is accountable for ensuring the Fund is a rewarding place for colleagues to work and progress professionally, and for embedding a member first culture aligned to our purpose, values, policies and practices. Michele and her team design and execute people and culture initiatives to support the Fund’s 2030 Strategy. Key areas of focus include: talent acquisition, development and management; succession planning and leadership development; colleague engagement; health and wellbeing; diversity and inclusion; workforce planning; remuneration design and people analytics. Michele joined AustralianSuper as Group Executive, People and Culture in July 2018. Prior to joining AustralianSuper, Michele was the People and Culture Leader for Mercer, Pacific region and has more than 30 years’ experience as a human resources practitioner. Michele holds a Graduate Diploma in Human Resources and Industrial Relations Management from RMIT.

 

Rose Kerlin

Chief Member Officer

'Members are at the heart of everything we do. A holistic approach to member’s journeys with the Fund ensures we can continue to deliver on the trust members place in us.’

Rose is accountable for the Fund’s member growth and ensuring that all members enjoy a seamless journey with best-in-class member engagement and experience. This includes members having access to leading products and services, and trustworthy guidance and advice to achieve their best financial position in retirement. The team’s remit includes product, brand, marketing, business and stakeholder partnerships, and member communication, education and advice. Rose joined the Fund in 2010 and was appointed Group Executive Membership in December 2016. Rose has held several growth roles and managed multiple industry fund mergers and corporate transitions for the Fund. Prior to joining AustralianSuper, Rose was a National Director at the Finance Sector Union of Australia. Rose holds a Bachelor of Economics (Social Sciences) from the University of Sydney, a Diploma of Financial Planning and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is also the Deputy Chair of SuperFriend, which delivers mental health initiatives to create thriving workplaces.

 

Andrew Mantello

Chief Risk Officer

‘To deliver trusted leadership, we must continue to embed a best practice approach to managing risk for the benefit of members.’

Andrew is the Chief Risk Officer of AustralianSuper and is responsible for ensuring the Fund’s processes, controls and systems remain robust as we grow. Andrew is responsible for the Fund’s Enterprise Risk Framework and takes the lead in providing advice to the board about how to balance risk and reward in members’ best financial interests. Andrew was appointed Chief Risk Officer in October 2021. He joined AustralianSuper in October 2011 to build out the legal function within the Investments Group. He then led the Investments Finance & Legal team that managed legal, tax, company secretariat, valuations, compliance and operational risk activities. Most recently, as the Head of Emergent Risks, Andrew provided strategic guidance on the Fund’s future risk landscape. Before his roles at the Fund, Andrew worked as a banking and financial services lawyer facilitating the provision of finance across a wide variety of industries. Andrew holds both a Bachelor of Commerce/Law from the University of Melbourne as well as a MBA from the Melbourne Business School.

 

Damian Moloney

Deputy Chief Investment Officer

‘We aim to build our investment platform and improve our global presence to drive sustainable, long-term performance for members.’

Damian is the Deputy Chief Investment Officer of AustralianSuper and responsible for the strategic direction, governance, oversight and enablement of the Fund’s global investments program. Based in London, Damian is also responsible for the Fund’s international offices in the UK, US and China. Damian joined the Fund in 2018 and has more than 30 years of experience at the most senior levels of the investment industry. Prior to joining AustralianSuper he was Chief Executive Officer of IFM Investors and also Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Advisors and responsible for the overall management of each organisation. He was also a consultant in the Asset Consulting Services division of Towers Perrin and a Lecturer in Finance at the University of Melbourne. Damian holds a Master of Commerce (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance) from Monash University.

Dr Don Russell

Independent Chair

Dr Don Russell was jointly appointed by ACTU Super Shareholding Pty Ltd and the Ai Group as an Independent Director of the Board on 2 May 2019. He was appointed Chair of the AustralianSuper Board on 26 September 2019. Since June 2018 Dr Russell has been a director of the Centre for Policy Development. Previous directorships include with CSIRO and Chair of State Super. Until 2018 Dr Russell was the Chief Executive of the South Australian Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Prior to that he was the Chief Executive of the Department of State Development, a role he commenced in 2014. Previous roles include Secretary of the Federal Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education; senior roles at BNY Mellon Asset Management Australia and Sanford C Bernstein, as well as a consultant to the World Bank, Bankers Trust, Westpac and as a Counsellor in the Australian delegation to the OECD in Paris. Between 1993 and 1995 Don served as Australia's Ambassador to the USA in Washington and between 1985 and 1993, and again in 1996, he was Principal Adviser to the Hon Paul Keating both during his time as Treasurer and Prime Minister. Don has a PhD from the London School of Economics, a MEc from ANU and a BEc (Hons) (First) from Flinders University as well as the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

 

Innes Willox

Deputy Chair, Director

Innes Willox was appointed by the Ai Group as an Employer Director on 9 December 2014 and as Deputy Chair on 1 January 2024. Innes is Chief Executive of the Ai Group, a leading industry organisation, representing businesses in a broad range of sectors including manufacturing, construction and transport, and was appointed to this role in May 2012. His current board appointments include Chair of the Social Policy Group, Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Skilled Migration and Chair of the RMIT College of Business Industry Advisory Board. Innes served as the Australian Consul General to Los Angeles from 2006 to 2008. He was Chief of Staff to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, from 2004 to 2006. Earlier, Innes held a number of private sector and government positions including Manager of Global Public Affairs for Singapore Airlines based in Singapore (2000-04). Innes began his working career as a journalist including Chief of Staff at The Age newspaper in Melbourne and Chief Political Correspondent for The Age in the Canberra Parliamentary Press Gallery. Innes holds a BA in History and Politics from Monash University, and a Graduate in Economics and Organisational Change from Edinburgh Business School.

 

Julia Angrisano

Director

Julia Angrisano is a Member Director appointed by ACTU Super Shareholding Pty Ltd on 31 August 2017, and was previously an Alternate Director appointed in December 2016. Julia is the National Secretary of the Finance Sector Union (FSU), where she has held various roles for over 20 years, and is a member of the ACTU Executive. Other directorships that Julia currently holds include FSU Property Pty Ltd, ACTU Member Connect and is a member of the Industry Reference Committee for Financial Services. Julia holds a Bachelor of Arts, Political Economy, from the University of Sydney.

 

Gabrielle Coyne

Director

Gabrielle Coyne is an Employer Director appointed by the Ai Group as a Director of the Board on 31 August 2017. Current directorships include Melbourne University Publishing Limited, and Ai Group Training Services. Previous directorships include the Aēsop Foundation, Cool Australia, the Wheeler Centre, Australian Publishers Association, and Pearson Education Australia. Gabrielle was formerly the Chief Executive of Penguin Random House Asia Pacific. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from RMIT University Melbourne; and has completed a Trustee Director Course with AIST.

 

John Dixon

Director

John Dixon is an Employer Director appointed on 26 September 2019. John has more than 35 years’ experience as a CEO or executive and non-executive director, predominantly within the logistics and services sector. John is a non-executive director of the AiGroup and a director of Frontier Advisors. His previous experience includes Executive Director/COO Linfox, Executive Director/COO Skilled Engineering, Managing Director Westgate Logistics, Managing Director Silk Logistics Group and Chair of a privately-owned transport company. For many years John has supported the charity Young Endeavour Youth Scheme and was formerly a member of the scheme’s advisory board. John is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (GAIST/Adv).

 

Claire Keating

Director

Claire Keating is an Employer Director appointed by the Ai Group as Director of the Board on 1 January 2020. Claire is a chartered accountant with over thirty years’ experience specialising in superannuation and funds management. She was previously a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers where she held a number of management roles including leading PwC’s Financial Services Assurance Practice in Melbourne. Other directorships that Claire currently holds include Victorian Managed Insurance Authority, and Charter Hall Direct Property Management Limited. Claire is a board member of the Judicial Commission of Victoria. She was previously a Director of CareSuper and SAS Trustee Corporation. Claire holds a Bachelor of Business (accountancy) from RMIT, and a Diploma of Superannuation Management from ASFA & Macquarie University. In 2015 Claire became a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

 

Philippa Kelly

Director

Philippa Kelly was jointly appointed by ACTU Super Shareholding Pty Ltd and the Ai Group as an Independent Director and Investment Committee Chair on 5 November 2021. Prior to her appointment, Philippa was a consultant to AustralianSuper and member of the Fund’s Direct Investment Group. With a background in law and investment banking she has held various roles within the property industry, most recently with Juilliard Group and Centro Properties. Current directorships include Lifestyle Communities Ltd, Hub Australia and oOh!media Ltd. Philippa was formerly the Deputy Chancellor of Deakin University, and a former director of Assemble Communities Pty Ltd. Philippa holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Australia and a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance & Investment from FinSIA. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Director’s course.

 

Michele O'Neil

Director

Michele O’Neil was appointed by ACTU Super Shareholding Pty Ltd as a Member Director on 10 September 2021. Michele is President of the ACTU and is a member of the ACTU Executive. She is Vice President of the International Trade Union Confederation and a member of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration. She was previously National Secretary of the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, Executive Member of IndustriALL Global Union Federation and Director of Manufacturing Skills Australia. Michele was previously an AustralianSuper Alternate Director and was a Member of the Member and Employer Services Committee.

 

Jo-anne Schofield

Director

Jo-anne Schofield was appointed by ACTU Super Shareholding Pty Ltd as a Member Director on 9 September 2022. She was formerly an Alternate Director has been a member of the Member & Employer Services Committee since 2020. Jo-anne is currently the National President of the United Workers Union and ACTU Vice President, having previously held a number of roles at the United Voice Union (and its predecessor union, the LHMU) including the positions of National Secretary and President. Prior to joining United Voice Jo-anne was Executive Director of Catalyst Australia, and was Manager Superannuation Legal and Executive Services in the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet. Jo-anne is currently a Director of the ACTU Member Connect Board. Previous directorships include a Ministerial appointment on the NSW TAFE Advisory Board, the Australian Retirement Fund, and was Deputy Chair of the Property Services Industry Training Board. Jo-anne holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of NSW and completed an RG 146 Foundations of Super course with AIST in 2022.

 

Glenn Thompson

Director

Glenn Thompson is a Member Director appointed by ACTU Super Shareholding Pty Ltd to the AustralianSuper Board on 31 January 2020. Glenn was elected to the position of Assistant National Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) in 2003, having previously held the role of Industrial Officer. Current directorships include the National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) Board, National Entitlement Security Trust (NEST), Australian Construction Industry Redundancy Trust (ACIRT) and UCOVER. Glenn was previously a Director of CBUS where he chaired a number of committees including Marketing & Services; People, Culture & Remuneration; and was a member of the Risk & Audit committee. Further previous directorships include The New Daily, the Coal Long Service Leave (Coal LSL), and the Construction Industry & Property Services Industry Skills Council (CPSISC). He has been advocating for workers both domestically and abroad for over 30 years. Glenn holds an RG 146 certificate and is a graduate of the AIST Trustee Director Course (Advanced). He has completed the AICD Foundations of Directorship Program and Risk Analysis, Investigation & Oversight Course.

 

Janice van Reyk

Director

Janice van Reyk is an Employer Director appointed by the Ai Group on 1 April 2022. Janice is currently a Director at Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd, Lochard Energy Group, and Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority (NTEPA). With a background in law and finance Janice is an experienced non-executive director, primarily in infrastructure and capital-intensive asset businesses, with a specialisation in chairing audit & risk committees. Previous directorships include Tennis Australia Limited, Ports Victoria, Citywide, Port of Melbourne Corporation and Melbourne Water Corporation. Janice is a Fellow of Certified Practising Accountants (FCPA) and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD). She holds a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Arts, and a Master of Environment from the University of Melbourne, and a Master of Commerce from the University of NSW.

 

Misha Zelinsky

Director

Misha Zelinsky was appointed by ACTU Super Shareholding Pty Ltd as a Member Director on 12 October 2023. Misha is a leading public policy specialist, a Fulbright Scholar, war correspondent, economist, lawyer, unionist, and author. He is currently Expert Associate with the ANU National Security College and a columnist with The Australian Financial Review and Foreign Policy Magazine. Current directorships include Chair of the NSW Labor Foreign Policy Committee and Director with The McKell Institute. He was formerly Assistant National Secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union serving for six years. Previous directorships include Cbus Super and the Manufacturing Industry Skills Council. Misha holds a Fullbright Scholar Certificate and completed a Master of Public Administration at the London School of Economics. He holds a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Commerce (Econ and Marketing), and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the University of Wollongong. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Director’s course and has completed an RG146 course with ASFA.

 

Pippa Downes

Committee Member

Pippa Downes is a Member of the Investment Committee appointed by ACTU Super Shareholding Pty Ltd and the Ai Group on 12 February 2021. Pippa brings to the Committee more than 25 years’ executive and non-executive experience in leading global financial services organisations including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and UBS. Pippa is currently a director of Australian Technology Innovators (ATI Global Ltd) and Ingenia Communities. Previous directorships include ALE Property Group, Zip Co Limited, Windlab, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, ASX Clearing and Settlement Corporation, the Pinnacle Foundation, Swimming Australia and the Swimming Australia Foundation. Pippa also formerly served as a Commissioner of Sport Australia. Pippa holds a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University, a Bachelor of Science (Business Administration, Finance and Accounting) from the University of California and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

 

Russell Maddox

Committee Member

Russell Maddox has been a member of AustralianSuper’s Investment Committee since 15 July 2014. Russell is an experienced investor across a range of asset classes, and has a long involvement with the design, specification, testing and usage of technology for fund management applications. Russell was the Chief Investment Officer at Merrill Lynch/BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Ltd from 2004 to 2012 responsible for managing multi-asset portfolios within BlackRock. He joined BlackRock in 2000 as the Head of Australian Fixed Income and moved to London in 2001 to head up the Global Fixed Income team for Merrill Lynch. Prior to this Russell worked at Macquarie Investment Management in various investment roles and Credit Suisse First Boston as the Head of Fixed Interest Research. He also worked as an economist for various banking institutions before moving into investment related roles with fund managers. Russell began his career with the Australian Commonwealth Treasury in Canberra after obtaining an Honours Degree in Economics from Monash University.

 

Richard Price

Committee Member

Richard Price is a member of the Investment Committee appointed by the Ai Group on 15 February 2023. Richard brings to the Committee almost 25 years’ executive experience at investment bank Macquarie Group, six years as Executive Chair at Aligned Resources Group, and a long career providing strategic, financial, investment and corporate advice to many leading companies in Australia and globally. Richard currently serves as an Investment Committee member of impact investment fund Conscious Investment Management, Chair of the Advisory Boards at Smarter SMSF and Magellan Stem Cells, and as a Council Member at the National Library of Australia. Richard holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (Honours) from the University of Melbourne.