AMP CEO resigns
AMP has announced today that Alex Wade, CEO of AMP Australia, will step down from his role, effective immediately.
Blair Vernon, CEO of New Zealand Wealth Management (NZWM), has been appointed acting CEO while a permanent replacement is sought.
Vernon, who has led major change as CEO of NZWM, will commence in the role immediately, and Jeff Ruscoe will replace him as acting CEO, NZWM.
AMP chief executive Francesco De Ferrari said: “We have a strong team in AMP Australia, who have been transforming the business, managing the successful separation of AMP Life, reshaping advice and increasing our focus on clients.
“I’m pleased we are able to call on an experienced executive in Blair Vernon to lead this team and continue to drive our strategy forward.”
AFCA appoints head of membership services
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has announced the appointment of Campbell Daff to the newly created position of head of membership services.
Mr. Daff will lead AFCA’s membership team to manage and deliver the ombudsman’s new vision for membership services within the Operational Excellence portfolio.
AFCA CEO and chief ombudsman David Locke welcomed the appointment, commending Daff’s significant experience in the design and delivery of membership value and service propositions.
“We know that now, more than ever, our members want additional support and guidance on how they can effectively resolve complaints and minimise the issues that give rise to complaints in the first place. AFCA is passionate about using our data and intelligence to assist our members and consumers.” Locke said.
Christian Super appoints new chief investment officer
Mark Rider has been appointed as new CIO at Christian Super, succeeding the fund’s long-standing CIO Tim Macready.
Rider is an experienced and highly credentialed investment leader, with a career that has spanned multiple finance organisations over the past 30 years, including the Reserve Bank of Australia, UBS Investment Bank and UBS Global Asset Management. Over the past seven years he served with ANZ Wealth and Private Banking, where he held various roles including head of investment strategy and chief investment officer.
Christian Super CEO Ross Piper said: “Mark Rider’s appointment as Christian Super’s new CIO is a significant milestone for the fund. Mark is a highly qualified and experienced investment leader, and his appointment will underpin Christian Super’s strong continued focus on maximizing outcomes for our members, and ensuring their money is invested in line with their values and beliefs.”
Outgoing CIO Tim Macready has provided investment leadership for Christian Super over the past 15 years. He will be moving to full-time employment with Brightlight, a specialist impact investment firm headquartered in Sydney.
Iress announces appointment of chief commercial officer
Iress has announced the appointment of Michael Blomfield to a newly-created role of chief commercial officer, to commence on 19 October.
He will be responsible for Iress’ business growth objectives, including increasing growth at scale. Blomfield will report to the CEO and be a member of Iress’ leadership team.
Iress chief executive, Andrew Walsh, said: “I am delighted that Michael is joining us in this role. The new role reflects our focus on scale, consistency and delivery, particularly where clients have increasingly similar needs. We also continue to focus on improving the client experience and a focused strategic approach to this is important to Iress and our clients.
