Spotlight on Fund Operations

Nathan Bonarius
Partner, PwC Australia

Nathan is a retirement incomes expert having assisted Treasury with the Government’s Retirement Income Review along with numerous public policy submissions and papers on the subject of retirement incomes.

Nathan has assisted many funds with implementation of the retirement income covenant, member outcomes, DDO, members best financial interests duty and Trustee indemnity capital requirements in recent years.

Nathan is actively involved in assisting superannuation industry clients with strategic advice, mergers, administration and outsourcing arrangements, financial advice and policy work.
Nathan is a qualified Actuary (FIAA, CERA) and holds an MBA from Macquarie Graduate School of Management.

Nathan is actively involved in public policy work and sits on the Actuaries Institute Public Policy Council Committee. Nathan also undertook a six-month secondment to Department of Treasury, Canberra in 2018 and was seconded again to assist with the Retirement Income Review.
He is the author of several papers on issues in retirement incomes including 'What is the right level of Superannuation Guarantee?' presented to the Actuaries Summit in 2019.

Michelle Bower
Chief Executive Officer, Gateway Network Governance Body (GNGB)

As CEO, Michelle leads governance of the Superannuation Transaction Network (STN). Engaging with the superannuation ecosystem’s wide stakeholder interests, she is a passionate advocate for the STN and the efficiencies it delivers for the benefit of the superannuation industry and fund members.

Michelle’s expertise includes cyber risk management, threats, challenges and actions to improve cyber resilience in the superannuation ecosystem, and is passionate about continuing to drive industry collaboration on this topic.

Michelle has over 25 years’ experience within financial services across operations and consulting roles within the investment management and superannuation sectors including her most recent
role prior to GNGB, driving regulatory change projects, operating model design and implementation.

Michelle is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Accounting from Macquarie University.

Julian Busic
Specialist Security Solutions Architect, Australia & New Zealand, AWS

Julian is a Security Solutions Architect, working with our customers, their regulators and AWS teams to help our customers adopt the AWS cloud in a secure, resilient and compliant manner. Prior to joining AWS, Julian worked for the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) in the IT Risk team, responsible for the supervision of banks, credit unions, insurers and superannuation funds, licensing of new entrants to the financial services industry, and development of APRA’s prudential standards and guidance.

Maureen Daley
Policy Consultant, ASFA

Maureen is an executive and consultant with broad strategic, management, operational and governance experience in the superannuation sector. Maureen brings her broad experience and an approach focussing on governance, decisions, and outcomes in changing business and regulatory environments to her work with the ASFA team in supporting the industry in its implementation of Payday Super.

James Douglas
General Manager, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority

James Douglas is a General Manager at the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. James currently leads APRA’s Superannuation Member Outcomes branch. Over the last two decades, James has held extensive regulatory and policy roles, predominantly at APRA and Commonwealth Treasury.

Glenna Forrest
Chief Super Operations Officer, GROW Inc

Glenna Forrest is a highly experienced superannuation executive with over 35 years in fund
administration and operations, including senior leadership roles at Mercer and GROW Inc. At GROW, she leads Superannuation Operations, overseeing client transitions, platform delivery, and day-to-day administration for funds serving over a million members. Her deep expertise spans operational risk, governance, and regulatory compliance, with a strong track record of managing complex transitions in line with APRA and ASIC standards.

Katherine Forrest
Chief Operating Officer, IQ Group

Katherine Forrest is a strategic leader with over 25 years of experience in the superannuation and financial services industry. As Chief Operating Officer of IQ Group, she has played a key role in driving innovation, blending modern operational strategies with business and technology leadership. Her expertise spans project delivery, strategy, and IT management across both public and private sectors, shaping IQ Group’s consulting capabilities and redefining how clients achieve success.

A sought-after speaker on industry transformation, Katherine draws on her extensive experience to help organisations navigate change, whether through regulatory adaptation, digital transformation, or shifting consumer expectations. She has deep insights into how highly regulated industries can leverage technology and operational efficiencies to enhance customer experience, improve compliance, and drive long-term sustainability.

Katherine’s work in superannuation has also provided valuable lessons for adjacent industries, including aged care, health and retirement. As the sector faces increasing regulatory pressures, service delivery challenges, and evolving consumer demands, she shares insights from superannuation’s transformation — exploring how industry consolidation, digital innovation, and governance best practices can serve as a blueprint for aged care leaders. With a passion for driving meaningful change, Katherine translates complex industry challenges into actionable strategies, helping organisations stay ahead in an era of disruption.

Christine Jones
General Manager, Operational Transformation, CareSuper

Christine Jones is a strategic leader with more than 20 years’ experience in financial services.

Her experience spans complex, multi-channel operating environments. She has led teams across superannuation and investment platforms, insurance administration, call centre operations, and adviser relationships, giving her strong insight into governance, oversight, and service delivery within increasingly complex provider ecosystems.

At CareSuper, she is currently leading the implementation of Payday Super and the design of the future target operating model that will serve CareSuper members into the future – translating strategy into execution is her focus.

Christine offers a grounded, practical perspective on navigating the shift to multi-provider service models—focusing on how governance frameworks, translate into operational effectiveness to deliver consistent and high-quality outcomes for members.

James Koval
Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer, ASFA

James joins the ASFA team as Head of Policy and Advocacy, bringing over a decade of public policy and political experience working with state, territory, and federal governments in various key policy and strategic roles.

Most recently, James has worked as a government engagement specialist in the Vice-Chancellor’s office at the University of Sydney and was instrumental in managing the University’s engagement with federal and NSW government, as well as advocating on reforms such as the Australian Universities Accord and the National Reconstruction Fund.

Prior to that, James worked in various roles across government and politics, including for treasurers, government leaders, and senior cabinet ministers. In advising government, James has taken leading roles in the legislative agenda of governments, and worked on reform for ministers in the transport, tertiary education, cyber security, procurement, and insurance portfolio areas.

James holds a Bachelor of International Relations from the Australian National University and holds qualifications in public policy from the London School of Economics and in Executive Leadership from the University of Oxford. He is currently undertaking a Master of Public Policy at the University of Sydney.

Shane Mooore
Project Diretor, Payday Super Program, Australian Tax Office

Shane leads some of the ATO’s core Payday Super initiatives, including enhancements to SuperStream, improvements to Single Touch Payroll (STP). With a strong track record in delivering complex reforms across the superannuation system, Shane brings deep technical expertise and a practical, collaborative approach. Shane is known for building trusted relationships across industry and government, and for combining clarity, credibility, and a personal touch to drive improved outcomes for employers, funds, and regulators alike.

Adam Nettheim
Chief Customer Officer, Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation

Adam Nettheim is CSC's Chief Customer Officer and a financial services leader with more than 24 years of experience spanning insurance, superannuation and financial advice. Throughout his career, Adam has led teams across several service and product providers, consistently championing strong governance, meaningful business transformation and a strong member centric approach.

With extensive expertise across superannuation scheme administration and frontline member engagement, Adam brings an end-to-end understanding of the super industry. He holds a Graduate Certificate of Business Administration and a Graduate Diploma in Financial Services (Financial Planning), is a Fellow of the Association of Super Funds of Australia (ASFA) while also holding a Trustee Associate accreditation with ASFA.

Pamela Panagenas
Head of Member Operations, AustralianSuper

Pamela Panagenas joined AustralianSuper in January 2023 and is the Head of Member Operations.

Pamela has extensive experience in financial services operations and governance across superannuation, insurance and investments working across large institutions. Including peer Fund, Aware Super during a large Operational Transformation.

Pamela’s Experience spans leadership coaching and development, strategy and business planning, partnership management and change and transformation.

Graham Peacock
Commercial Director Retirement Solutions, Lumera

Graham Peacock is a senior pensions and technology leader with deep expertise in UK master trust operations and large scale administration platforms. He specialises in operational transformation, cost to serve reduction, and the safe modernisation of legacy pension administration through automation and data led design. Graham has led and advised multiple master trust and workplace pension transformations, with a strong focus on governance, scalability, and delivering better value for members through resilient, future proof digital platforms.

Rachel Reynolds
Head of Service & Operational Excellence, Vanguard Australia

Rachel is responsible for enabling the delivery of a superior member experience through partnerships with Vanguard Super’s providers. Rachel has 25 years of experience working in senior operational roles across the financial services industry including superannuation, financial advice and insurance. Rachel was appointed as Head of Operations, Vanguard Super on 8 April 2020.

Rachel holds a Diploma in Financial Services with a focus on Financial Planning from Kaplan and has also completed an Advanced Diploma in Financial Services, specialising in Superannuation, through ASFA.

Jason Theng
Chief Risk Officer, Team Super

The Team Superannuation Fund (Team Super) is a profit to members, public offer pension fund dedicated to serving the retirement needs of all Australians. Team Super manages over $23 billion in funds for approximately 150,000 members.

Jason Theng is the Chief Risk Officer of Team Super with over 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry. He has a strong background in operational risk management and compliance, with roles in corporate banking institutions including Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Jason holds a Master of Business Administration from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Bachelor of Policing and Graduate Certificate in Fraud Investigation.

Chris Weldon
Chief Transformation Officer, MUFG Retirement Solutions

Chris Weldon, Chief Transformation Officer at MUFG Retirement Solutions, brings over 20 years of leadership experience in financial services, specialising in business transformation and technology-driven change. He oversees enterprise initiatives leveraging cloud, AI, and digital platforms to ensure compliance with regulations such as CPS 230. Chris has successfully delivered complex, large-scale transformations and integrations, improving operational performance and governance while aligning strategy, people, and technology to drive compliant, efficient, and client-focused outcomes.