Bennelong Funds Management has appointed former Challenger retirement income chairman Jeremy Cooper to its board as a non-executive director, effective from 1 February.
The fund manager stated it had restructured its board in order to streamline its focus on the Australian market, with global chief executive John Burke highlighting Cooper’s experience.
“Jeremy is an industry veteran with unparalleled experience and expertise in the Australian superannuation and wealth sectors. We are looking forward to working with Jeremy as we continue our growth strategy in the Australian market,” Burke stated.
In a career spanning over 35 years in the legal and finance industries, Cooper previously served as the deputy chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, headed up the Super System Review or Cooper review under the Rudd government and is currently a member of the public policy committee of the SMSF Association.
He is also currently chair of the advisory board of the Conexus Institute, a not-for-profit think tank that focuses on improving retirement outcomes for Australians.
Cooper will join chairman Lincoln McMahon, Burke and non-executive directors Andrea Waters and Ian Womack on the board. Burke thanked retiring non-executive director Vicki Allen for her almost eight years in the role.
“On behalf of Bennelong, I extend our thanks to Vicki for her contributions to the company and wish her all the best in her future endeavours,” he said.
The funds management firm has four offices in capital cities in Australia and operates as BennBridge in the United States and United Kingdom.