Spotlight on Retirement 2025

Shaun Bransdon
General Manager - Retirement & Wealth, TAL

Ross Clare
Director - Research and Resource Centre, ASFA

In this role Ross has been responsible for preparation of research papers across a range of superannuation and retirement income issues, including adequacy of retirement income and the structure of the Australian retirement income system. 

He is responsible, amongst other things, for the development and maintenance of the ASFA Retirement Standard, which is now very commonly used.

Prior to joining the staff of ASFA he held senior positions with the Australian Treasury and an Australian Government research agency, the Economic Planning Advisory Commission.

Ross has degrees in Economics and Law from the Australian National University. 

Mary Delahunty
Chief Executive Officer, ASFA

Mary Delahunty joined ASFA in 2024 and her leadership qualities, industry knowledge, and demonstrated commitment to advancing the sector, align with ASFA’s 60-year-long mission to bring the whole industry together to strengthen the effectiveness of the superannuation system for all Australians.

In 2022 she founded Seven Advisory which provides specialist ESG and impact advisory services to institutional investors developing their social license to deliver long-term value. Prior to that she was Head of Impact at HESTA where she was instrumental in shaping strategic policies and responsible investment practices to advance member outcomes in the superannuation system. She was also previously an executive with Link Market Services.

Mary is a member of the Pensions & Investment World Pension Summit International Advisory Board and holds several board positions including in the RegTech and education sectors and was a 2015 Churchill Fellow awarded for international research on gender equity in retirement outcomes.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne and a Masters of Applied Finance.

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.

Angela Hartl
Principal, Mercer

Angela Hartl is a Principal and qualified Actuary at Mercer, based in Sydney. She specialises in helping trustees enhance member outcomes during the retirement phase and frequently speaks at retirement conferences while publishing thought leadership pieces. Alongside her retirement-focused work, she is also a defined benefit Actuary. With over 25 years of experience at Mercer, her international career spans both the United Kingdom and Australia.

Emma Higgs
Special Counsel, Financial Services, Mills Oakley

Emma Higgs is an experienced advisor on legal and regulatory matters affecting superannuation funds, working with trustees to navigate the complexities of compliance, strategic planning, and industry reform in an evolving regulatory and commercial environment.  She has a specialist interest in retirement incomes, trustee governance and member outcomes, having spent several years in London advising on occupational pension schemes, including at the UK pensions regulator - dividing her time between fund oversight, enforcement action and policy development.  Emma will present findings from a detailed review of retirement income strategy summaries across the industry, offering insights into how funds are responding to the Retirement Income Covenant and preparing for the introduction of revised SPS 515 Member Outcomes.

Ben Hillier
Director, Retirement, AMP

Ben Hillier, Director Retirement at AMP, has over 25 years of experience in strategic management and product leadership, and has worked in every sector in superannuation – retail, profit-for-member, government, corporate and SMSFs.  Ben joined AMP in 2021 where he led the development of MyNorth Lifetime, a market-first lifetime income solution that pay high rates of income for life yet allows complete investment choice and considerable income flexibility.  Prior to joining AMP, Ben was Head of Product at QSuper where he launched their Lifetime Pension product.

Pippa Lane
Acting Senior Executive Leader - Superannuation and Life Insurance, ASIC

Pippa leads ASIC’s Superannuation and Life Insurance team within ASIC’s Regulation and Supervision group. She oversees ASIC’s regulatory work associated with the life insurance and superannuation industries.

Prior to joining ASIC, Pippa held senior roles in policy and supervision at the UK Financial Conduct Authority across life insurance, pensions and mortgages. Pippa led financial services policy at Citizens Advice, the UK’s national debt advice charity after starting her career in government research. She holds a PhD in politics and history.

Aaron Minney
Head of Retirement Income, Challenger

Aaron is the Head of Retirement Income for Challenger where he is responsible for research and advocacy for retirement income for Australian retirees. For 13 years he has been researching ways to generate income from investments in retirement. He has worked with super funds on developing retirement solutions, has published academic research in the area and is a sought-after spokesperson on retirement income.

Aaron has 30 years’ experience as an investment strategist and researcher, across a wide range of asset classes. Prior to Challenger, Aaron has held roles managing investment portfolios, led investment product innovations, and worked with clients to develop bespoke investment solutions.

Aaron is also an Honorary Fellow at the Macquarie Business School’s Applied Finance Centre where he is an adjunct lecturer in Advanced Investment Management.

Giacomo Tarantolo
Manager, Retirement Solutions, UniSuper

Giacomo joined UniSuper in the role of Manager, Retirement Solutions in 2023 and is responsible for leading a cross-functional team that maintains and implements UniSuper’s Retirement Income Strategy across the Fund, ensuring that UniSuper's Retirement Income Covenant obligations to its members are met.

Giacomo is a qualified Actuary having completed a Bachelor of Actuarial Studies with a Bachelor of Applied Finance at Macquarie University. Giacomo is approaching ten years' experience in financial services in roles spanning retirement product development, institutional business development, actuarial and investment consulting at Allianz and Mercer.

Rosalyn Teskey
Partner, Regulatory, Risk and Forensics, Deloitte

Rosalyn is a Partner in Deloitte’s Risk and Regulatory practice and leads the firm’s Financial Services accountability offering. She has led numerous engagements to implement the BEAR and FAR regimes for banking, insurance and superannuation clients. Rosalyn’s accountability work has included working with organisations to understand the implications of accountability regimes and to support them to not only meet the requirements of FAR but to embed a culture of accountability.