Industry Super Australia (ISA) chief executive, David Whiteley, is stepping down to take up a new global position with IFM investors.
ISA chair Peter Collins said that Whiteley had turned the organisation into the most effective advocate in financial services in the country during his 12 years at the mantle.
“Under David’s stewardship, ISA has developed into what is indisputably the best policy, lobbying and campaign organisation in our industry, perhaps the best in any industry.
“His leadership and unrelenting focus on good public policy has made life better for millions of Australians,” Collins said.
Collins pointed to the extensive campaigns Whiteley oversaw as proof of his impact.
“ISA led the campaign to retain the Low Income Super Contribution (LISC) while David and his team successfully saw off attempts to diminish the governance of industry super funds and make them more like banks.
"David led trade delegations overseas which helped globalise industry super funds investments and oversaw the award winning ‘Compare the Pair’ marketing campaign showcasing industry super funds’ outperformance.
“This helped Australians understand how their superannuation returns can significantly impact their final nest egg and the increased membership and scale that comes from it has allowed industry super funds to deliver the best possible member returns.”
Whiteley would take up his new role in September.
Vanguard Super has reported strong returns across most of its investment options, attributed to a “low-cost, index-based approach”.
The fund has achieved double-digit returns amid market volatility, reinforcing the value of long-term investment strategies for its members.
Australian super funds notched a third consecutive year of strong returns, with the median balanced option delivering an estimated 10.1 per cent over the 2024-25 financial year, but an economist has warned that the rally may be harder to sustain as key risks gather pace.
AustralianSuper has reported a 9.52 per cent return for its Balanced super option for the 2024–25 financial year, as markets delivered another year of strong performance despite the complex investing environment.