It seems only a few short years ago that superannuation policy guru and sometime Super Review columnist, Blake Briggs, packed his swag and left the Financial Services Council for what looked like a pretty cushy job over at Westpac as head of government affairs for wealth.
But how things change in two years. Westpac has largely exited wealth leading Rollover to conclude that Briggs’ move was not so much a case of returning to the mother ship, but actually finding a convenient career life raft.
Not that Briggs is actually discernibly taking a backward step. Oh no. He left the FSC as senior policy manager, superannuation, and returns as deputy chief executive, under Sally Loane.
Rollover can’t remember the last time the FSC had an official deputy chief executive but he does remember that when Richard Gilbert was chief executive of its forerunner, the Investment and Financial Services Association, he had a deputy, John O’Shaughnessy.
With rainy weather abound in Sydney, Rollover was sat in front of his TV watching the smorgasbord of niche documentaries free-to-air has to offer.
As a history buff, Rollover is well-aware of the importance of the role the vanguard plays in a military force, as the leader at the front of battle.
Now that crypto investing is mainstream, with Rest Super announcing it will put a portion of its funds into it, Rollover wonders whether his grandkids will think he is hip when he shows them his crypto balance in his new digital wallet.
Rollover is almost as fascinated by superannuation fund mergers as the deputy chair of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), Helen Rowell.