The regulatory response to COVID-19

11 min read
11 min read

In the short space of a month, the industry has moved from a focus on implementation of the Royal Commission recommendations to dealing with the extraordinary impacts of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. In the midst of an ever-evolving situation and a flood of information, this rules and regs highlights the most significant developments as at 1 April.

COVID-19 Coronavirus: new compassionate ground for early release of super

In response to the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, the Government has quickly implemented a new compassionate ground for early release of individuals’ superannuation benefits.

The Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Act 2020 received Royal Assent on 24 March, after the Bill was introduced into and passed by Parliament on 23 March as part of the Government’s COVID-19 economic support package. The Act contains the amendments to the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 (SIS Regulations) and to the Income Tax (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997 necessary to establish the new condition of release.

In order to apply for early release under the new ground, an individual must certify that they satisfy any one or more of the following requirements when they apply:

  • they are unemployed; or
  • they are eligible to receive a job seeker payment, youth allowance for jobseekers, parenting payment, special benefit or farm household allowance; or
  • on or after 1 January 2020:
    • they were made redundant; or
    • their working hours were reduced by 20 per cent or more; or
    • if they are a sole trader – their business was suspended or there was a reduction in their turnover of 20 per cent or more.

An individual will be able to make one application in the 2019-20 financial year and one application in the 2020-21 year prior to 24 September 2020, when the measure will end.

Applications for the early release will be made to the ATO. Individuals will authenticate themselves through MyGov and complete the application form in ATO Online from 20 April.

The ATO’s CRT Alert 004/2020 provides information about the application and payment process for applicants and for superannuation funds. Importantly, this advises that individuals will provide their bank account details as part of the ATO application process and give authorisation for the ATO to provide these to the individual’s nominated fund(s) and for the fund(s) to release the money into that account. According to the ATO, funds can expect to start receiving notifications from 21 April, in an electronic file format.

AUSTRAC has indicated that it will introduce a rule under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF) to ensure that superannuation funds making payments to their members under the early release initiative, where the payment is approved by the ATO and processed through MyGov and ATO online, will not have to conduct additional customer verification under the AML/CTF regime. AUSTRAC will update its website with further information in due course.

The Government has indicated it expects funds to process the payments and release the amounts to the individual as soon as possible. Under amendments contained in the Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Act 2020, the payments will not be subject to tax.

Treasury has published a factsheet on this measure.

Impact on superannuation income streams

The Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Act 2020 has amended the SIS Regulations to temporarily reduce superannuation minimum drawdown requirements for account-based pensions and similar products by 50 per cent for 2019-20 and 2020-21.

The Government has indicated this will give retirees more flexibility as to how they manage their superannuation assets. Treasury has published a factsheet on this measure.

Services Australia has written to providers of superannuation income streams asking whether they are in a position to report updated income stream balances to reflect the unforeseen downturn in the share market due to the pandemic. Services Australia has noted that the changes to the values of many members account balances can mean that some recipients of social security pensions are not receiving their full entitlement because their assessment was based on their superannuation income stream account balance as last reported in February, before the market downturn.

The ‘JobKeeper’ wage subsidy

On 30 March the Government announced that it will introduce a wage subsidy of up to $1,500 per fortnight for eligible employees of businesses that have suffered a reduction in revenue of at least 30 per cent (50 per cent for businesses with an annual turnover exceeding $1 billion) since 1 March. The subsidy will be known as the ‘JobKeeper’ payment.

According to the Prime Minister, the enabling legislation is still being drafted and arrangements to reconvene Parliament are yet to be finalised. While the Prime Minister indicated “there will be no superannuation guarantee levy on this payment”, it appears this may not fully describe the potential outcomes. A factsheet released by Treasury indicates that whether superannuation guarantee (SG) is payable will depend on factors including whether the JobKeeper payment is used by the employer to subsidise an employee’s existing earnings level or to increase their earnings, or is paid in circumstances where the employee has been stood down without pay and is not performing work-related duties for the employer. This is one aspect of the subsidy that will require further clarification.

The ATO has established an online form for businesses to register to receive updates on the JobKeeper payment but is advising it cannot provide any further information at this time.

The regulators and AFCA

Due to the exceptional circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the regulators and AFCA have each made statements about changes to their scheduled work programs and their expectations of regulated entities.

APRA

APRA has suspended the majority of its planned policy initiatives until at least 30 September, to allow regulated e
ntities to dedicate time and resources to maintaining their operations and supporting customers, while also enabling APRA to intensify its focus on monitoring and responding to the impact of a rapidly changing environment on entities’ financial and operational capacity.

APRA has indicated it is suspending all substantive public consultations and actions to finalise revisions to the prudential framework that are currently underway or upcoming, including consultations on prudential and reporting standards. It will keep the situation under review, but presently does not plan to recommence consultation on any non-essential matters before 30 September.

APRA may continue to progress certain data reporting initiatives where they are critical to meeting its mandate in the current environment, including new data collections related to the impacts of COVID-19. APRA is also reconsidering the implementation dates and transition timeframes for prudential and reporting standards that have been recently finalised but not yet implemented. Further details on any adjustments will be provided shortly.

The suspension will specifically include APRA’s program to replace the current data collection tool Direct to APRA (D2A) with a new solution, APRA Connect. APRA Connect was previously expected to go live in September.

APRA and ASIC have jointly written to registrable superannuation entity (RSE) licensees to provide guidance to help them manage the financial and operational challenges associated with COVID-19, while continuing to meet their obligations to look after members’ best interests. The letter addresses issues in relation to liquidity, communication with members, insurance, and monitoring for scams and fraud.

APRA has published answers to the following superannuation-related frequently asked questions (FAQs) about COVID-19:

  1. In light of the additional pressures on the administration of superannuation funds, what action should trustees be taking?
  2. Will APRA continue with the Super Data Transformation project?
  3. Is APRA providing trustees relief from complying with SPS515 Strategic Planning and Member Outcomes, in particular the requirement to undertake a business performance review (BPR) by 31 December 2020?
  4. APRA has some data queries underway with certain trustees – are these continuing?
  5. Should trustees continue to undertake a trial outcomes assessment?
  6. Will APRA’s superannuation publications be released as planned?
  7. Will APRA publish the updated MySuper Product Heatmap with updated fee data in June 2020?
  8. Will APRA proceed with thematic activity relating to outsourcing and conflicts management, which had been planned for 2020?
  9. Will APRA take action against trustees for breaching the three-day portability rule?
  10. Will the publication of the industry level findings from the joint work on trustees’ oversight of fees and other charges be deferred?

APRA’s announcements in relation to COVID-19 are available on its website.

ASIC

ASIC has indicated it is focusing its regulatory efforts on challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic until at least 30 September 2020. Other matters where there is the risk of significant consumer harm, serious breaches of the law, risks to market integrity and time-critical matters will also be prioritised.

ASIC has immediately suspended a number of near-term activities which are not time-critical, including consultation, regulatory reports and reviews. Of relevance to superannuation, these include the ASIC report on executive remuneration and the updated guidance on internal dispute resolution (RG 165).

ASIC has stated that it is committed to working constructively and pragmatically with the firms it regulates, mindful they may encounter difficulties in complying with their regulatory obligations due to the impact of COVID-19. Where warranted, relief or waivers from regulatory requirements will also be provided.

In addition to its joint letter with APRA (see above), ASIC has also published answers to the following superannuation-related FAQs about COVID-19:

  1. Will the publication of the industry level findings from the joint work on trustee’s oversight of fees and other charges be deferred?
  2. Will ASIC be amending ASIC Class Order [CO 14/443] to extend relief for portfolio holdings disclosure obligations?
  3. Will ASIC be providing any relief from the requirement to hold an annual members’ meeting under section 29P of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993?

More information about COVID-19 is available on ASIC’s website.

ATO

The ATO has published information about the application process for early release of superannuation under the new compassionate ground (see above) and also made available additional information about implementation of the COVID-19 measures on its website.

AFCA

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has advised financial firms it will modify its approach to dispute resolution to take into account all regulatory and legislative changes announced as part of Australia’s COVID-19 response.

Complaints about COVID-19 will be prioritised to ensure those impacted have their issues resolved as quickly as possible. AFCA will take into account the circumstances and context in which financial firms are currently operating when considering complaints. AFCA understands firms may be putting in place alternate staffing arrangements and may not be in a position to quickly act on requests for information.

AFCA is encouraging financial firms to continue to:

  • work constructively and reasonably with affected consumers during any period of disruption
  • openly and transparently communicate with consumers about any delays they may experience in decision making, claims or complaints handling caused by the impact of COVID-19 on their business.

AUSTRAC

As noted above, AUSTRAC will introduce an AML/CTF rule to ensure superannuation funds making payments to their members under the new Coronavirus compassionate ground early release initiative will not have to conduct additional customer verification.

AUSTRAC has indicated it will continue to accept lodgements of compliance reports by reporting entities until 30 June, without risk of compliance action. The AML/CTF Compliance Report 2019 would ordinarily have been due by 31 March.

In addition, AUSTRAC has stated that it will constructively work with reporting entities as they manage their money laundering and terrorism financing risks during this disruptive period. This includes considering the entity’s circumstances when applying the AML/CTF laws.

AUSTRAC has more information about its approach to COVID-19 on its website.

Impacts on Parliamentary sittings, Budget and Intergenerational Report

After sitting on 23 March to pass the legislation necessary for the Government’s COVID-19 economic support package, Parliament’s remaining Autumn sittings and all its Winter sittings were cancelled. Under a revised schedule Parliament was due to resume on 11 August however an earlier sitting will be necessary to pass legislation for the JobKeeper wage subsidy announced on 30 March.

The 2020-21 Budget, which was to have been held on 12 May, has been deferred until 6 October.

The Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Act 2020 has amended the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998 so that the next Intergenerational Report, which was due in the middle of this year, will now be due for release on or before 30 June 2021.

Picture of By Julia Stannard

By Julia Stannard

senior policy advisor

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Sinem Kalenderoglu

Marketing Manager - Brand & Content, Rest

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As a Brand and Content Manager, Sinem has built her career working across brand campaigns, social media strategy and cross-channel storytelling.

Working at the intersection of technology and creative innovation, she’s crafted her skill of turning complex brand concepts into engaging social narratives that connect and resonate with member experiences.

Specialising in superannuation, she’s passionate about exploring how brand storytelling through social media can converge to drive meaningful audience connection.

Gemma Kyle

Chief Risk Officer, Rest

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Gemma was appointed as Chief Risk Officer in November 2018 and leads the Enterprise Risk function which includes investment risk, operational risk, business resilience, financial crime, compliance and regulatory engagement.

Gemma has over 25 years’ experience in risk management and governance across multiple industries including government, engineering and financial services. She is known for her ability to drive organisational change and achieve business objectives in complex and dynamic environments. Prior to joining Rest, Gemma held senior positions at MLC Life Insurance, MLC Wealth, Parsons Brinkerhoff and Federal Treasury. She is a Director on the Board of the Fund Executives Association Limited. Gemma holds a Master of Arts from the Australian National University, a Bachelor of Economics, Social Science (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Adrian C

Director, Partnership Program, QLD and NT, Australian Signals Directorate (ASD)

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Adrian C works in the Australian Signals Directorate and is the Director of ASD’s Cyber Security Partnership Program.

He has worked in various roles in the National Intelligence Community for the last 16 years including geospatial intelligence, intelligence support to Australian Defence Force Military Operations and writing core components of the Comprehensive Review – legal framework of the National Intelligence Community. 

Adrian transferred to Australian Signals Directorate in 2021 and was responsible for the section that develops and publishes ASD’s technical publications and guidelines.

He moved from Canberra to Brisbane in January 2023 to commence his current role within Australian Signals Directorate.

Kate Farrar

Chief Executive Officer, Brighter Super

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Kate Farrar is the Chief Executive Officer of Brighter Super, where she has led the fund’s transformation from a $10 billion Queensland public-sector fund into a $35 billion success story with more than 280,000 members.

Since her appointment as CEO in April 2018, Kate has overseen the merger of LGIAsuper and Energy Super and the acquisition of Suncorp Super—the first industry fund acquisition of a retail fund. This integration, completed 18 months ahead of schedule, delivered a 40% reduction in administration fees for members while expanding services across Queensland.

Under Kate’s leadership, Brighter Super has become one of the fastest-growing industry funds in Australia, recognised for both its operational sustainability and member-first approach. In acknowledgment of these achievements, she was awarded the Fund Executive of the Year Award by the Fund Executives Association Ltd (FEAL) in 2024.

Kate brings 35 years of leadership experience across finance and energy, including senior roles at Barclays de Zoete Wedd, Suncorp Investment Management, NSW Treasury Corporation, McKinsey & Company, and Ergon Energy.

Beyond her role at Brighter Super, Kate serves as a Non-Executive Director of ASX100-listed Seven Group Holdings and is the President of the Queensland Futures Institute.

She holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) and a Master’s Degree in Econometrics and Finance. Through a scholarship from Chief Executive Women, she is also a graduate of INSEAD’s Advanced Management Programme. In 2025, following her FEAL award education grant, Kate completed the Stanford Graduate School of Business program, People, Culture, and Performance: Strategies from Silicon Valley.

Joseph Mitchell

Assistant Secretary, ACTU

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As ACTU Assistant Secretary, Joseph is passionate about winning a better future for working people and growing the union movement.  

Joseph has a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Arts from Australian National University and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance from the University of NSW.  

Joseph Mitchell is a trustee director of TelstraSuper.

Vasyl Nair

Group Chief Executive Officer, Team Super

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

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 $22 billion in funds for approximately 150,000 members.

Vasyl Nair is the Chief Executive Officer of Team Super (prior to this, Vasyl held the roles of Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Chief Risk Officer and Chief Strategy Officer).

Vasyl is a keen advocate for the ongoing development of the superannuation sector, with active participation in a number of different parts of the industry. He has served as a director of an Australian fintech organisation, specialising in superannuation and investment administration.

Vasyl was appointed to the Board of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) as Director in January 2025, the peak pension fund association in Australia.

Vasyl has a strong background in law, corporate finance and strategy, having held senior roles across at some of Australia’s largest financial services institutions. Vasyl holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hon), Bachelor of Commerce, Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice and an Executive Master of Business Administration. He is admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW as a solicitor, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has achieved a Certificate of Business Excellence from the Haas School of Business, U.C.
Berkeley.

Kristian Fok

Chief Executive Officer, Cbus Super

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Kristian Fok is the CEO of Cbus Super, Australia’s leading specialist superannuation fund for the building and construction sector. Cbus was founded 40 years ago and provides superannuation and income streams to more than 925,000 members and manages over $105 billion of members’ money (as of 30 June 2025). He is responsible for all aspects of Cbus and reports directly to the Board.

Prior to his appointment in June 2023, Kristian Fok served as the Fund’s Chief Investment Officer (CIO) for 10 years. Cbus is a significant, long-term investor in the Australian economy and the Fund invests back into our members’ industries both directly and indirectly and via unique vehicles such as our wholly owned entity, Cbus Property.  

As CIO, Kristian was responsible for leading the Cbus investment strategy, this included evaluating opportunities that provide returns to members over the long term, managing investment governance and risk and monitoring the portfolio. Kristian led the development and implementation of Cbus’ hybrid internalisation strategy, which has proven successful in driving strong returns and delivering total cumulative fee and costs savings for members of over $730 million. 

Kristian is Chair of the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) and serves on the Board of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI). Kristian’s qualifications include Bachelor of Commerce, Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries Australia and Fellow of FINSIA.  

Kevin Fernandez

General Manager, Market Strategy & Propositions, Novigi

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Kevin has long played a central role in shaping and driving strategic initiatives across the superannuation and wealth management sectors. With deep expertise in data strategy and a passion for AI, Kevin leads the development of forward-thinking solutions – ranging from strategic partnerships to managed services – that address evolving client needs.  

A recognised thought leader, Kevin is known for leveraging data-driven insights to deliver sustainable value. His leadership is central to Novigi’s market positioning, helping to define the company’s growth strategy in an increasingly complex and dynamic financial landscape.  

Vicki Doyle

Chief Executive Officer, Rest

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Vicki joined Rest as Chief Executive Officer in May 2018, bringing more than 20 years of
senior executive leadership experience in superannuation, life insurance, wealth management and banking.

Vicki’s experience includes executive leadership roles at some of Australia’s largest financial services organisations. She has an extensive background in distribution, strategic marketing, digital, fund operations and contact centres, customer strategy and design and product management.

Vicki is passionate about simplifying and demystifying superannuation to help all Australians achieve their best retirement outcomes.

Vicki holds an Executive MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and a diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Vicki has been a Non-executive Director of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors since 2018 and a Director of The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia since 2022.

Louise Davidson, AM

Chief Executive Officer, Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI)

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Louise Davidson has spent her career with a focus on building long-term value for the millions of beneficiaries of Australian superannuation funds. Most recently this has included elevating the importance of environmental, social and governance factors in managing material financial risk in super fund investment portfolios. 

As CEO of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) since 2015, Louise oversees ACSI’s program of company engagement, research and policy advocacy, backed by 30 years of senior experience in the financial services and ESG sectors. Her tenure as ACSI CEO has seen significant improvements in the way listed companies manage important issues including boardroom diversity, climate risk and human rights.  

Prior to being appointed ACSI CEO, she was Investment Manager, ESG at Cbus superannuation fund 

Louise is the co-founder of the Mother’s Day Classic, which has raised over $50 million for breast and ovarian cancer research since 1998. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 for her significant service to the superannuation sector and to breast cancer research.  

She is a director of Chief Executive Women, deputy chair of the Federated Hermes Client Advisory Board, and a former director of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the International Integrated Reporting Initiative and former chair and director of the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation. 

Peter Chun

Chief Executive Officer, UniSuper

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Peter Chun joined UniSuper as the Chief Executive Officer in September 2021, bringing more than 30 years’ experience in financial services.

UniSuper is one of Australia’s largest super funds with more than 700,000 members and over $155 billion in funds under management (as at 30 June 2025).

As CEO, Peter is responsible for developing, leading, and implementing corporate strategy and culture. He is also accountable for the overall services and operational management of UniSuper Management nationally.

Prior to joining UniSuper, Peter held senior executive roles at Aware Super, Colonial First State and Credit Suisse.

Peter is a qualified Actuary with a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University. He holds Graduate Diplomas in Applied Finance and Investments and Financial Planning from the Securities Institute of Australia; and has undertaken the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School (Boston, USA).

Peter is a Director of Diversity Council Australia, a Member of the ASFA CEO Advisory Committee and the Australian Chamber Orchestra Finance Audit & Risk Committee.

Eoin Burke

Head of Financial Crimes, MUFG Retirement Solutions

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Eoin Burke is the Head of Financial Crimes, MUFG Retirement Solutions, a division of MUFG Pension & Market Services (MPMS), with over 20 years of experience in financial crime prevention, compliance, and data analytics. 

He has held senior leadership roles across APAC and EMEA, and plays a critical role in protecting the organisation from financial threats, responsible for safeguarding the data and monetary assets of over 20 million accounts. His remit includes fraud and scam prevention, AML/CTF compliance and reporting, regulator and law enforcement engagement, training and awareness, and driving innovation in protective technologies. He also developed ‘ALERT’, MPMS’s internal fraud analytics capability, which now protects over 10.5 million member accounts daily and has prevented more than $150 million in financial crime. 

A recognised industry leader, Eoin regularly speaks at major forums including the Financial Crimes and Cyber Security Forum and the AUSTRAC Symposium, sharing insights on emerging risks and best practices in financial crime prevention. His strategic direction continues to strengthen MPMS’s defences and reinforce its commitment to integrity and security. 

John Livanas

Chief Executive Officer, State Super

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Mr Livanas leads a team of experienced senior executives in managing the provision of member services and the investment of approximately $38 billion of assets (as at 30 June 2025).

Mr Livanas has over 30 years’ industry experience, having worked in organisations including Deloitte South Africa, the South African Government Employees Pension Fund – the precursor to the country’s sovereign fund – and several Australian superannuation funds.

Prior to his appointment in October 2011, Mr Livanas was the Chief Executive Officer of AMIST Super (2008–11) and the General Manager of FuturePlus Financial Services (2002–08). He was a Director of ISPT and ISPT Grosvenor International Property Trust from 2010–12 and in August 2013 was appointed to the Board of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors.

Mr Livanas holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and an MBA from the University of Witwatersrand and a Graduate Diploma of Finance and Investments from the Financial Services Institute of Australia. He is an ASFA-accredited Investment Fiduciary and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Debby Blakey

Chief Executive Officer, HESTA

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Debby Blakey, GAICD, is the CEO of HESTA, Australia’s $96 billion superannuation fund for health and community services workers. With over 30 years’ experience in the superannuation and financial services sectors, she holds qualifications in Mathematics, Computer Science, Financial Advice, Governance, Pension Fund Design and Sustainability.

Debby’s leadership is characterised by a ‘people-first’ approach, focusing on enhancing member experiences and financial outcomes while also ensuring operational rigour and excellence. She is a strong advocate for innovation and transformation within the superannuation industry.

Debby is the President of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI), a Director of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) and is the founding Chair of the 40:40 Vision initiative – promoting gender equality at executive and Board level in ASX300 companies.

Under Debby’s leadership, HESTA has been called the ‘corporate conscience of Australia’ for its commitment to strong governance, environmental management and gender equality.

Cath Bowtell

Chair, IFM Investors

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Cath is the Chair of IFM Investors; Industry Super Holdings (ISH); and the Federal Government’s Jobs & Skills Ministerial Advisory Board.   

She is a Director of Industry Fund Services (IFS) and of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation. 

Cath has worked for many years in senior roles in both the superannuation industry and union movement. She was the Chief Executive of IFS and Chief Executive of the Australian Government Employees Superannuation Trust (AGEST) from 2010 until its merger with AustralianSuper in 2013.

Prior to this, Cath was a Senior Industrial Officer at the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). She has held a number of directorships and committee positions throughout her career, including Director of AustralianSuper, Director of AGEST Super and Director of Ausgrid.

Natalie Previtera

Chief Executive Officer, NGS Super

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Natalie is the Chief Executive Officer of NGS Super.  

With a career grounded in governance, legal, and strategic leadership, Natalie brings a forward-thinking and purpose driven approach to superannuation. She is responsible for steering the fund through a dynamic regulatory landscape, ensuring operational excellence, and delivering long-term value to members.

Natalie also served as Chief Risk and Governance officer having deep institutional knowledge and a strong track record in executive oversight and regulatory engagement.

She is known for her collaborative leadership style and her ability to drive transformation while maintaining a strong member-first ethos.

Prior to joining NGS in 2019 Natalie held senior governance roles at AMP, Suncorp and Perpetual.  

Laura Catterick

Director, Resilience & Cyber, UK Finance

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Laura Catterick is the Director of Resilience & Cyber at UK Finance, which is the collective voice for the UK banking and finance industry, representing over 300 firms and supporting members in their efforts to build more resilient firms and a more resilient financial sector.

Within UK Finance, Laura works closely with industry leaders, government, and regulators, influencing policy on operational resilience and cybersecurity at a national level. UK Finance also co-chairs CMORG (Cross Market Operational Resilience Group) to deliver collaborative resilience initiatives that address systemic risks.

Laura is a Chartered Professional Accountant from Canada with extensive experience in risk, regulatory compliance, cyber security, operational resilience, and large-scale transformation. She has held senior executive roles within highly regulated sectors, including roles across all three lines of defence within Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lloyds Banking Group, and Mastercard.

Josh Cross

Chief Operating Officer, SS&C Technologies

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Josh Cross brings over 30 years of experience in Technology, Operations, Delivery and Transformation within the Australian Financial Services industry. His expertise spans Trade Finance, Institutional and Corporate Lending, Consumer Lending, Share Trading, Insurance and Superannuation.

Josh joined SS&C in July 2025 through a lift-out from Insignia Financial – one of Australia’s largest Superannuation and Investment providers, known for its growth through large-scale acquisitions and technology separations from major Australian banks.

In his current role, Josh leads the SS&C  Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) function, which delivers technology, operations, and service delivery for more than one million Australian across multiple technology eco-systems, supported by a team of approximately 1300 staff. Over the next three years, Josh will also lead the major transformation of the underlying superannuation platforms and processes, migrating to SS&C’s Bluedoor ecosystem.

Lt Gen Michelle McGuinness, CSC

National Cyber Security Coordinator, National Office of Cyber Security

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Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, CSC was appointed as Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator (the Coordinator) on 26 February 2024.

As the Coordinator, LTGEN McGuinness leads national cyber security policy, the coordination of responses to major cyber incidents, whole of government cyber incident preparedness efforts, and the strengthening of Commonwealth cyber security capability. 

LTGEN McGuinness has served in the Australian Defence Force for 30 years in a range of tactical, operational, and strategic roles in Australia and internationally.

Prior to this appointment, LTGEN McGuinness most recently served as Deputy Director Commonwealth Integration in the United States Defense Intelligence Agency. In this role, she led policy and cultural reform, and technological integration, including interoperability across information technology, systems and data.

Jamie Bonic

Global Head of FX and Commodity Sales, NAB

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Jamie Bonic is NAB’s Global Head of FX and Commodity Sales, responsible for several FX-related sales businesses including NAB’s Institutional, Corporate, and Government teams.  Prior to joining NAB, Jamie spent 17 years in London working for JPMorgan as a Managing Director in their Global Markets division, leading sales and trading across Interest Rate and FX products. Jamie holds a Bachelor of Economics from The University of Sydney and is currently based in Sydney.

Katie Miller

Deputy CEO, Regulation, AUSTRAC

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Katie Miller is the Deputy CEO, Regulation, AUSTRAC and has strategic responsibility for AUSTRAC’s regulatory, policy and legal functions. 
Katie has extensive experience exercising regulatory functions and advising regulators at state and federal levels. Katie is a published author on issues involving regulation, law and technology and supports connections between government, practitioners, communities of practice and academia. 

Derek Thompson

Via live link

Best Selling Author, Podcast Host of 'Plain English'

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Few speakers can match Derek Thompson‘s ability to synthesize mega-trends in society, labor, economics, technology, and politics. Put another way: Derek trawls the data sets and does the forecasting and deep reporting necessary to help us better understand how we live, how we vote, how we spend, and how we work.

In his paradigm-shifting #1 New York Times bestseller, Abundance (co-written with Ezra Klein), this award-winning journalist reveals how our policies and culture have pushed us into a world of scarcity (not enough housing, workers, or progress)—and offers a radical new path towards a world where housing is affordable, energy is plentiful, and innovation flourishes across industries.

He shares a compelling vision of a future where we have more than enough for everybody, and a practical, actionable roadmap for how to get there. It starts with taking more risks, building more expansively, and recognizing that we all have the power to create a world of abundance. “Everything’s utopian until it’s reality,” he says.

Carmen Beverley-Smith

Executive Director - Superannuation, Life & Private Health Insurance, APRA

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Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Carmen joined APRA in March 2023 and holds the role of Executive Director, Life and Private Health Insurance and Superannuation.  

She has had an esteemed career in financial services, spanning over 25 years. She has held diverse leadership roles at Westpac and Commonwealth Bank of Australia, including across risk, transformation and change, product and portfolio development, and sales and service. 

Prior to joining APRA, she held the role of General Manager, Risk Transformation Delivery Integration at Westpac. This involved leading the group-wide implementation of a suite of solutions to uplift risk management capability and develop data, analytics and reporting. 

Carmen leads with a values-driven approach and a particular interest in developing and mentoring talent. 

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Accounting, is a certified Chartered Accountant and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Amy C. Edmondson

Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School

Sessions

Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society.

Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #1 in 2021 and 2023; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019, and Talent Award in 2017.  She studies teaming, psychological safety, and organisational learning, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review and California Management Review. Her 2019 book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth (Wiley), has been translated into 15 languages. Her prior books – Teaming: How organizations learn, innovate and compete in the knowledge economy (Jossey-Bass, 2012), Teaming to Innovate (Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Extreme Teaming (Emerald, 2017) – explore teamwork in dynamic organisational environments. In Building the future: Big teaming for audacious innovation (Berrett-Koehler, 2016), she examines the challenges and opportunities of teaming across industries to build smart cities. 

Edmondson’s latest book, Right Kind of Wrong (Atria), builds on her prior work on psychological safety and teaming to provide a framework for thinking about, discussing, and practicing the science of failing well. First published in the US and the UK in September, 2023, the book is due to be translated into 24 additional languages, and was selected for the Financial Times and Schroders Best Business Book of the Year award.

Before her academic career, she was Director of Research at Pecos River Learning Centers, where she worked on transformational change in large companies. In the early 1980s, she worked as Chief Engineer for architect/inventor Buckminster Fuller, and her book A Fuller Explanation: The Synergetic Geometry of R. Buckminster Fuller (Birkauser Boston, 1987) clarifies Fuller’s mathematical contributions for a non-technical audience. Edmondson received her PhD in organisational behavior, AM in psychology, and AB in engineering and design from Harvard University.

 

Daniel Mulino MP

Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services

Sessions

Keynote 8 – Navigating the energy transition: opportunities, investor strategies and policy needs

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.