Media Release

AustralianSuper’s Paula Benson joins the ASFA Board

Published 19 April, 2024

Published 19 April, 2024

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), the voice of super, is pleased to announce the appointment of AustralianSuper’s Paula Benson, Chief Officer Strategy and Corporate Affairs, as a new Director to the ASFA Board.

Paula has 25 years’ experience in senior strategy, corporate affairs and marketing roles in top NYSE and ASX firms across the superannuation, banking and financial services, mining and resources, infrastructure, health, education and media sectors.

“We are delighted to welcome Paula to the ASFA Board, particularly at a time of great innovation and opportunity for our superannuation system,” said ASFA Chair, Gary Dransfield.

“Paula’s creative and strategic leadership skills and cross-sector experience will further strengthen the sector-wide expertise of ASFA’s Board, and we look forward to working with her.”

The AustralianSuper appointment replaces HESTA’s Debby Blakey who was thanked for her significant contribution. Mr Dransfield also welcomed recent ASFA Board appointments Jane Couchman from Aware Super, representing public sector funds and replacing Deanne Stewart, and Bryony Hayes from TelstraSuper who represents corporate sector funds and replaces former board member Nadine Flood, and thanked Deanne and Nadine for their valuable contributions to the Association over many years.

For further information, please contact ASFA Media team: 0451 949 300

About ASFA

ASFA, the voice of super, is the peak policy, research and advocacy body for Australia’s superannuation industry. It is a not-for-profit, sector-neutral, and non-party political, national organisation. ASFA’s mission is to continuously improve the superannuation system, so all Australians can enjoy a comfortable and dignified retirement.

Acknowledgement of Country

We want to respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of these lands, seas, and waters throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders both past and present. We acknowledge the history, the resilience and the continual contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of their Country.

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Daniel Mulino MP

Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services

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Born in Brindisi, Italy, Daniel was a young child when he moved with his family to Australia. He grew up in Canberra and completed his first degrees – arts and law – at the ANU. He then completed a Master of Economics (University of Sydney) and a PhD in economics from Yale.

He lectured at Monash University, was an economic adviser in the Gillard government and was a Victorian MP from 2014 to 2018. As Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer of Victoria, Daniel helped deliver major infrastructure projects and developed innovative financing structures for community projects.

In 2018 he was preselected for the new federal seat of Fraser and became its first MP at the 2019 election, re-elected in 2022 and 2025. From 2022 to 2025, Daniel was chair of the House of Representatives’ Standing Economics Committee in which he chaired inquiries; economic dynamism, competition and business formation and insurers’ responses to 2022 major floods claims.

In 2025, he became the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services.

In August 2022, Daniel published ‘Safety Net: The Future of Welfare in Australia’, which aims to explore the ways in which an insurance approach can improve the effectiveness of government service delivery.