The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has nominated Linda Elkins to be its new board chair, effective from 25 August.
The nomination is subject to approval by the superannuation industry peak body’s members.
Elkins has more than three decades’ experience in financial services and superannuation. She was executive general at Colonial First State where she was responsible for the organisation’s superannuation arm. More recently, she was asset and wealth management national sector leader at KPMG and is currently a non-executive director at AMP.
She has also been managing director of superannuation at Russell Investments and worked at Sunsuper, the Insurance and Superannuation Commission and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
“ASFA represents the full breadth of the APRA (Australian Prudential Regulation Authority)-regulated system, from retail and industry funds to wrap platforms and service providers. That whole-of-sector view is what makes ASFA so crucial to ensuring super is not only a world-class accumulation system, but a world-class retirement system too,” she noted.
Elkins, who has previously served on the ASFA board and chaired committees within the organisation, said she was delighted to join the body at such a pivotal time for super. Pending member approval, she voiced her enthusiasm towards working on critical issues like cybersecurity, delivering better financial advice and retirement outcomes, and maintaining trust in super.
She is succeeding Gary Dransfield, who spent four years in the role.
ASFA chief executive Mary Delahunty expressed optimism that someone with Elkins’ broad industry experience would be a positive force for uniting the sector.
“Linda has spent her career working across industry and retail funds, platforms, advice and government. She is uniquely qualified to lead super’s peak body as ASFA works on delivering our policy agenda of simpler, safer, stable super,” Delahunty said.
“Our goal is ensuring Australians can retire with confidence, supported by the world’s best retirement system, and Linda, our board and the ASFA team will be relentless in making this a reality.”
