Global hunt begins for $166B pension fund leader

Global hunt begins for $166B pension fund leader
Wall Street executives among the targets in recruitment search.
SEP 07, 2023

Australian Retirement Trust, the country’s second largest pension fund, is scouring the world for a new chief executive officer after Bernard Reilly announced he was stepping down.

Reilly, who will leave in February, oversaw the largest merger to date in Australia’s fast-growing pensions industry when Sunsuper and QSuper combined last year. The new firm’s assets under management have since swollen to more than A$260 billion ($166 billion). 

Reilly joined Sunsuper as CEO in October 2019 before eventually taking on the role as ART’s head. The fund has now appointed Egon Zehnder to start a global search for a new boss, according to a statement on Thursday.

Australia’s A$3.5 trillion pension industry has undergone a period of rapid growth and a wave of mergers as compulsory employer contributions fuel record inflows. The industry has been attracting interest in both Wall Street and London as it outgrows its own backyard and seeks lucrative deals in private markets abroad.

“This has been an enormous decision for my family and me, but I know that I am stepping away at the right time for Australian Retirement Trust,” Reilly said on Thursday.

Latest News

Advisor moves: RBC lands $1B UBS team in Pittsburgh
Advisor moves: RBC lands $1B UBS team in Pittsburgh

Elsewhere, Wells Fargo Advisors adds a $400 million Morgan Stanley veteran in Naples as an ex-Cetera advisor goes independent with LPL

GWG’s Heppner hires Puff Daddy’s attorneys as criminal sentencing looms
GWG’s Heppner hires Puff Daddy’s attorneys as criminal sentencing looms

According to a federal charges Bradley Heppner, 60, received more than $150 million in payments through funneling money from GWG Holdings to a shell company.

Investors accuse Broadstreet fund of alleged billion-dollar 'Ponzi-like' scheme
Investors accuse Broadstreet fund of alleged billion-dollar 'Ponzi-like' scheme

A $1B fund allegedly skimmed 30% off the top, then swapped cash for locked-up stock.

Lawsuit alleges Skechers founders manipulated $9.4B buyout to shortchange investors
Lawsuit alleges Skechers founders manipulated $9.4B buyout to shortchange investors

Insiders allegedly rewrote projections three times in four days.

Fintech bytes: FINNY signs Visionary Square for pay-as-you-go AI prospecting program
Fintech bytes: FINNY signs Visionary Square for pay-as-you-go AI prospecting program

TCI Wealth Advisors also has also tapped JIFFYAI to unify onboarding and servicing, while TradePMR adds ICE market data to its Fusion advisor platform

SPONSORED Built on insurance experience to deliver on long-term promises

Knighthead Life entered the market with a competitive MYGA. A strong launch earned advisor confidence and paved the way for FIAs.

SPONSORED In the Age of AI, Trust Becomes the Advisor's Greatest Asset

As AI makes financial information more accessible than ever, Lana Hock explains why human judgment, trust, and empathy remain the qualities clients value most in a financial advisor