Meet Aware Super’s leadership team
Aware Super’s leadership team is made up of a board of directors and an executive leadership team. They work together towards a common cause. Helping Australians look forward to their best possible retirement.
Our board of directors
Aware Super’s trustee board is made up of 11 leaders in industries like super, finance, and health. Their purpose is to put our members first in everything we do.
Roslyn joined our board in 2019. She was jointly appointed by the Secretary of Premiers and Cabinet and the Secretary of Treasury.
Roslyn is a professional company director in financial services. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the super industry. Her expertise includes insurance, investment management, risk management and governance.
Before joining our board, Roslyn held many leadership roles in super. Roslyn began her career at the ISC (now Australian Prudential Regulation Authority). She was CEO of the Harwood Super Fund for 12 years. Roslyn was also a director at the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) and has held other superannuation fund directorships.
Aware Super roles and responsibilities
Director
Chair, Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee
Member, Investment Committee
Member, Direct Assets Committee
Other
Life Member, ASFA
AIST Trustee of the Year 2022
Qualifications
Bachelor of Business (Acctg), University of Southern Queensland
Trustee Fellow, ASFA
Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)
Certified Practising Accountant, CPA Australia
Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance, Governance Institute of Australia
ASFA Accredited Investment Fiduciary
Diploma of Superannuation Management, Macquarie University
Stewart Little
Director
Stewart joined Aware Super’s board in November 2022. He was appointed by Unions NSW.
Stewart has represented the interests of public sector workers for more than 20 years. He understands the workings of government and has excellent relationships with ministerial and department staff. Most recently, Stewart provided leadership to the Public Service Association executive and senior management teams.
Stewart was previously Senior Industrial Officer, for the Public Service Association of NSW. In 2016 he was elected General Secretary and is now responsible for the industrial representation of more than 39,000 public sector employees. Prior to that, Stewart also held senior roles with the Police Association of NSW.
Aware Super roles and responsibilities
Director
Member, Governance & Nominations Committee
Member, Member Services Committee
Other current roles
General Secretary, Public Service Association of NSW
Branch Secretary, Community and Public Sector Union, NSW Branch
Qualifications
Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Science from the University of Technology Sydney
Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees
John was appointed to our board in 2020. His appointment was made by Unions NSW.
John’s background is in education. He was a schoolteacher for several years. John was also General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary of the NSW Teachers Federation. At the Federation, John helped improve the salaries and working conditions of casual teachers and gave temporary teachers access to the top of the salary scale and pro-rata conditions to that of permanent teachers.
At the Federation he also improved communication channels between union members and the education community. He did this by developing ground-breaking apps and introducing social media platforms and websites.
John was a director of Teachers Federation Health for over 20 years and saw it grow to the largest Restricted health fund in Australia. John was also an inaugral director of Nurses and Midwives Health from 2016 - 2020 giving Nurses and their families access to Health Insurance via their union membership.
Aware Super roles and responsibilities
Director
Member, Investments Committee
Member, Direct Assets Committee
Qualifications
Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Accounting)
Diploma of Education (Economics)
Graduate Certificate in Marketing
Member of Australian Institute of Company Directors
Pip Carew
Director
Pip joined our board in 2018. She was appointed to the board by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch).
Pip is a passionate advocate for healthcare workers. Before joining Aware Super, Pip had a long career as a clinical nurse in Victoria, working in public, private and community settings as well as aged care facilities.
After this, Pip began a career in industrial relations and held the role of Assistant Secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) for 10 years.
Pip has also been a director of HESTA Super Fund.
Aware Super roles and responsibilities
Director
Member, Governance & Nominations Committee
Member, Member Services Committee
Chair, People and Remuneration Committee
Qualifications
Graduate Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (adv)
Graduate Diploma in Health Sciences, RMIT
Bachelor of Arts, Monash University
Certificate of Nursing
Philip joined our board in 2020. He was jointly appointed by the Secretary of Premiers and Cabinet and the Secretary of Treasury.
Philip’s experience is in financial markets. His career began as a Cadet Economist in the Reserve Bank of Australia. Philip spent more than 35 years working as a fund manager in Australia, Asia and the UK. Prior to joining our board, Philip was a Partner at Goldman Sachs in London and Sydney for 10 years. He was also Chair of Goldman Sachs Australia Managed Fund Board. And he was a member of the Goldman Sachs Australia and New Zealand Operating Committee.
Philip is passionate about helping people make better financial decisions. In 2018, Philip completed a Psychology degree focussed on behavioural finance decision making. Philip is currently completing a PhD on Decision making with uncertainty at the University of Sydney. Outside of Aware Super, Philip holds many leadership roles. He is a Director for Green Road Consulting – helping businesses with decision-making science. Philip is also a patrol member of the South Narrabeen Surf Lifesaving club in NSW.
Aware Super roles and responsibilities
Director
Chair, Investment Committee
Chair, Direct Asset Committee
Other current roles
Non-Executive Director, Platinum Asset Management
Director, Green Road Consulting
Director, Moffitt Family Foundation
Director, Aberdeen Fund Pty Ltd
Chair, Newington College Foundation
Qualifications
Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science (Psychology) with First Class Honours, The University of Sydney
Graduate Diploma of Psychology, The University of Sydney
Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours, The University of Sydney
Associate, The Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA)
Member Australian Institute of Company Directors
Patricia was appointed to our board in 2020. She is jointly appointed by the Department of Education and Training Victoria and the Victorian Public Sector Commission.
Patricia specialises in governing not-for-profit member organisations. She is an experienced chair and board director. The sectors Patricia has worked across are vast – including health, banking, government and super.
Aside from her work with Aware Super, Patricia sits on many boards. She is Chair for Jesuit Social Services and Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s CEO Advisory Panel. She is also a board member of the Melbourne Theatre Company, among others.
Over the years, Patricia has received several distinguished awards.
These include:
An Order of Australia in 2008 for her services to Health and Social Policy
A Centenary Medal in 2002 for her services to Public Administration
An Honorary Doctorate from Monash University in 2013.
Aware Super roles and responsibilities
Director
Member, Governance & Nominations Committee
Member, Investment Committee
Member, Direct Assets Committee
Other current roles
Chair, Jesuit Social Services
Chair, CEO Advisory Panel, The Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Deputy Chair, The Melbourne Theatre Company
Chair, Melbourne Academic Centre for Health
Director, Caritas Australia
Committee Member and Chair Foundation,Melbourne Racing Club
Qualifications
Honorary Doctorate, Monash University
Master of Administration, Monash University
Bachelor of Arts, University of Melbourne
Diploma of Education, University of Melbourne
Angela Nigro
Director
Angela joined our board in 2021. She was appointed by Unions NSW.
Angela is the Chief Financial Officer of the Health Services Union for NSW, ACT and Queensland. She is passionate about supporting health and aged-care workers.
Outside of these roles, Angela is also on the State Executive Board for the Australian Labor Party NSW. She is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
Aware Super roles and responsibilities
Director
Member, Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee
Member, Member Services Committee
Other current roles
Chief Financial Officer, Health Services Union NSW/ACT/QLD
State Executive Board Member, Australian Labor Party NSW
Audit and Risk Committee Member, Australian Labor Party NSW
Qualifications
Certified Practising Accountant Program, CPA Australia
Master of Accounting, Macquarie University
Bachelor of Business, Southern Cross University
Certificate IV in Human Resources, TAFE NSW
Leigh joined our board in February 2023. She was appointed by the Victorian Healthcare Association (VHA).
Leigh is an experienced association executive in the health sector, with skills in governance, strategy, health policy and member services. Leigh has worked in clinical, research and management roles across public, private, and not-for-profit health services.
She also has 12 years’ experience as a CEO and Board Director of several national peak health associations. In these roles, Leigh improved member services and developed a successful advocacy portfolio across state and federal jurisdictions.
Leigh is a member of our Governance and Nominations Committee and the People and Remuneration Committee.
Aware Super roles and responsibilities
Director
Member, Governance & Nominations Committee
Member, People & Remuneration Committee
Other current roles
CEO, Victorian Healthcare Association
Qualifications
Bachelor of Prosthetics and Orthotics (Hons)
Master of Public Health
Currently completing a PhD in Health Economics
Debora joined our board in May 2024.
A respected chief executive and leader in public administration, with extensive governance and operational delivery experience in the health sector, Debora brings decades of experience operating within large complex organisations with statutory and public stewardship. She is passionate about improving the lives of Australians through health and access to health care.
Other current roles
Chair, Major Tasmanian Hospital Emergency Department
Chair, Investigation into Reportable Deaths and Death Reporting Processes in Tasmanian Public Hospitals
Advisor, Wesfarmers Health
Chair, Odyssey House Board of Directors
Principal, Debora Picone AO Consulting
Independent Chair, Appointed by Australian Health Minister Health Technology Assessment Policy and Methods Review Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Review of approval of medicines in Australia
Qualifications
Bachelor of Health Administration
University of NSW General Nurse Training
New South Wales Certificate in Renal Nursing
Erin Aulich
Erin joined the board in July 2024.
Joining the Fund with an extensive background in education, teaching around the globe including Australia, the United Kingdom and South Korea. Along with education, her time spent as union leader brings a wealth of experience from financial and resource management and enterprise bargaining to strategic planning.
Qualifications
Master of Labor and Industrial Relations I Human Resources Management
Bachelor of Education (Secondary) I Bachelor Applied Science (Health Promotion)
Our executive leadership team
Aware Super’s executive leadership team is led by Deanne Stewart, Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Our executive leadership team oversees our daily operations. The team exists to offer our members the best advice and support for their retirement.
As CEO of one of Australia’s largest super funds, Deanne is proud to lead Aware Super as a force for good in the super industry. Deanne is passionate about responsible investing and purpose-led organisations. Above all, she is committed to helping our members retire well.
Deanne has more than 25 years’ experience in financial services, both in Australia and overseas. She is an expert in super, wealth and insurance. Before leading Aware Super, Deanne was Chief Executive Officer at MetLife. Prior to this, she held senior roles at BT, Westpac, Merrill Lynch and McKinsey & Co.
During her time as CEO, Deanne has overseen some pivotal moments. She led the successful merger of VicSuper and First State Super in 2020. Deanne also led the launch of our brand, Aware Super. Throughout her time here, Deanne has been a strong advocate for gender equality. She was honoured by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency as a pay equity ambassador in 2019.
Other current roles
Director, Redkite
Member, Super Members Council
Member, UNSW Business School Advisory Board
Member, University of Technology Business School Advisory Board
Member, Australian Council of Superannuation Investors Board
Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Member, Australian Centre for Gender Equality & Inclusion @Work
Qualifications
Bachelor of Commerce, Finance & Marketing, UNSW
Master of Business Administration, Yale University
Damian joined the fund as Chief Investment Officer in 2016. In this role, Damian is responsible for our investment portfolio and team.
Damian has a long history of investment management in Australia. During his 30-year career, Damian has led Private Portfolio Management for the Macquarie Group. He was Chief Investment Officer at StatePlus and First State Super and held leadership positions at JP Morgan and Norwich Investment Management.
Damian is passionate about building people's retirement savings. His purpose at Aware Super is to deliver great outcomes to our members, so they can enjoy peace of mind when they stop work.
Other current roles
CFA Advocacy Council
Director, IGCC
Qualifications
Bachelor of Economics
Graduate Diploma, Securities and Financial Planning FINSIA
Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA Institute
Graduate, Australian Insitute of Company Directors
Sally Collins
Chief Operating Officer
Sally joined the Fund in April 2024. In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Sally will lead the Finance, Strategy and Transformation, Technology and Data and Investment Services functions.
Joining Aware Super from HESTA, her experience spans executive roles AXA, CBA, NAB and the Victorian Funds Management Corporation.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Psychology
Post Graduate Diploma Applied Science Psychology
Graduate, Diploma in Financial Planning, Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Advanced Management Program, INSEAD France
Other current roles
Chair, Autism Awareness Australia Board
Chair, Marshall White Foundation Board
Jane joined the Fund as Chief Risk Officer in 2020. In her role as Chief Risk Officer and Group Executive, Sustainability, she is responsible for Risk, Compliance and Corporate Sustainability.
Before joining Aware Super, Jane was the Executive General Manager, Compliance at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). She was responsible for leading the bank’s Global Compliance Function. During this time, Jane also co-led CBA’s response to APRA's Prudential Inquiry into CBA; as well as the new Banking Executive Accountability Regime (BEAR). She was a key member of CBA’s Royal Commission Taskforce.
Jane has also held senior leadership and executive positions with Macquarie Group, BT Financial Group and Perpetual.
Other Current Roles
Director Association of Super Funds Australia (ASFA)
Director Jenoar Foundation
Life member, Rainbow Club Australia Ltd
Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts with Bachelor of Laws, Macquarie University
Steve joined the Fund in 2021 as Group Executive, Member Growth. In this role, he leads value streams including Performance and Growth and Retirement.
Steve held a number of senior roles across the industry, including Chief Customer Officer and General Manager for Customer Engagement at SunSuper. Steve was also Head of Strategic Planning for Vanguard’s Retail business, based in the USA.
Steve is passionate about improving retirement for all Australians.
Qualifications
Masters, Organisational Leadership, Melbourne School of Business
Masters, Applied Finance, Macquarie University
Bachelor of Business (Accounting), Queensland University of Technology
Fellow, Financial Services Institute of Australasia
Graduate, Company Directors Course, Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)
Steve joined Aware Super (former First State Super) as our Group Executive, People & Workplace in 2013. Steve is responsible for our Human Resources and Workplace business areas, aiming to attract great people and help them grow their careers.
Prior to this role, Steve had a long career in both the Asia-Pacific region and the UK. He worked in senior HR roles for organisations like PwC, ANZ, Qantas, and Stockland. Steve is passionate about creating a workplace that celebrates diversity, learning and developing great leaders.
Other current roles
Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Board Member, Fund Executives Association Limited
Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts
Chartered member, Australia Human Resources Institute
Jo joined the Fund in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer. She was appointed as Group Executive, Member Engagement, Education and Advice in April 2024. She now leads our Member Experience value stream to deliver a super helpful member experience.
Jo is passionate about leading with purpose and the development of her people. She has led the organisation in its most significant business transformation to deliver simple member experiences.
Bringing over 25 years of leadership experience, Jo has previously held General Manager roles with CBA, QBE and Macquarie.
Other current roles
Board Member, Adara Group
Board Member, Aware Super Legal Pty Ltd
Qualifications
Master of Management, MGSM Graduate, Company Directors Course, Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)
Graduate, Governor’s Leadership Foundation Programme
Master of Education, University of South Australia
Bachelor of Education, University of South Australia
Katrina joined the Fund in 2019. As Group Executive, Advocacy and Communication and Chief of Staff, she is responsible for driving alignment and performance for the Fund.
Katrina has 23 years of financial services experience and has held leadership roles across business development, strategy, transformation and operations across superannuation and funds management. She also worked as a financial planner for five years.
At the Fund, her role covers External Affairs, government and stakeholder relations and internal communications. She also runs the Office of the CEO, with a keen focus on her home state of Victoria.
Qualifications
Masters of Applied Finance
Ian joined the Fund in 2012 as General Counsel and Company Secretary. His role is to deliver high quality and timely legal and company secretariat services to Aware Super.
Prior to joining Aware Super, Ian held senior roles at Perpetual Limited, as Head of Legal Risk and Compliance. Before this, he worked with the Australian Government’s Insurance and Superannuation Commission.
Other current roles
Director of several Aware Super Group companies
Director, Aware Super Legal Pty Ltd
Member, Australian Law Council Superannuation Sub-Committee
Qualifications
Bachelor of Legal Studies
Bachelor of Arts (Hons)
Diploma of Education, Practising Certificate, The Law Society of NSW
Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Where to next?
Become a member
Join more than 1 million other Australians who are gaining peace of mind in retirement.
Join our team
We'd love to hear from you. Check out our open roles to see where you fit.