Former Labor MP and financial services and superannuation spokesman Bernie Ripoll has joined the board of the SMSF Association, replacing outgoing board member Cath Mulcare.
Ripoll’s appointment is effective immediately and took place at the association’s board meeting yesterday. The former parliamentary secretary has been a member of the association’s public policy committee since January 2018.
His appointment is the first of a number of further appointments to the board, according to chair Dr Deborah Ralston, following a call for expressions of interest from members.
Ralston said the addition of Ripoll’s insights from the broader advice and superannuation sectors had been valuable to the work of the board.
“I am certain the skills, relationships and experiences he brings to the table will prove invaluable as superannuation and financial services policy continues to evolve,” she said.
Ripoll said the appointment aligns with his long-standing focus on the financial services sector.
“I am delighted to have been asked to join the board. I have always had a deep interest in superannuation and financial services, which is why I took the opportunity to serve on the public policy committee, and now look forward to having a bigger role in the association by being a board member,” he said.
Mulcare stands down from the board after joining in June 2015 and Ralston praised her work on regulatory affairs, governance and risk management, adding: “Cath’s knowledge and experience in these critical areas gave the association a vital resource on which it could draw at the very time it was needed.”
