NEW SOUTH WALES:

Dascia Bennett

State Business Development Manager (NSW), Members Equity Bank

Dascia has a diverse background, previously working as a Liaison Officer for Timber Related and Allied Industries NSW, a Project Consultant with the Department for Employment Education and Training and has also run a large Agribusiness in WA.

Prior to joining Members Equity Bank in May 2006 as State Business Development Manager (NSW), Dascia worked in industry-based superannuation for 10 years - most recently as National Business Development Manager for ARF Super.

Building relationships with diverse groups has been the most rewarding aspect of all work Dascia has undertaken.

Career highlights for Dascia have always involved working with groups to meet new challenges faced and working together to overcome problems and obtain good outcomes for community.

Anna Booth

Anna Booth is a Director of Members Equity and of her own company, CoSolve Pty Ltd.

She spent 18 years of her working life in the trade union movement where her roles included National Secretary of the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia and Vice President of the ACTU. She has also spent time in the corporate sector having been a non executive director of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) and in executive roles with Star City and the Shopping Centre Council of Australia.

She now divides her working time between Members Equity and involvement in the Industry Superannuation Fund Network and her role with CoSolve, a workplace relations consultancy that promotes a cooperative model of employment and workplace relations between workers, trade unions and management.

She was attracted to Women in Super because of the organisations’ leading role in supporting the fight against breast cancer, a cause she has always supported. (Anna was amongst the group of women who launched the Australian Women’s Health Diary, the proceeds of which go to support clinical trials of breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies) She also believes women should provide support and encouragement to each other and Women in Super does just this for women in superannuation.

Elisabeth Pohl

Office Manager NSW Office & Event Co-ordinator, IAS/AIST

Elisabeth was ‘introduced’ to superannuation shortly after arriving in Australia from her home country Austria.

When she was offered a job with BUS (Building Union Superannuation) and AUST (Allied Unions Superannuation Trust) – now better known as Cbus (Super for the Construction & Building Industries), she had no idea what superannuation was and had to look it up in the dictionary. The entry found was superannuation

\Su`per*an`nu*a"tion\, n. The state of being superannuated, or too old for office or business; the state of being disqualified by old age; decrepitude.
The world itself is in a state of superannuation. -- Cowper.

Well, that didn’t sound promising nor interesting or positive. So she asked around and found that superannuation is actually something GOOD. Elisabeth decided to take the job.

That’s were she met her mentor, Mavis Robertson, AM. Mavis took her under her wings and suddenly superannuation wasn’t scary anymore. Elisabeth got involved in different projects, one of them was CMSF and it was there, at the second conference, at the Women’s Breakfast where Elisabeth’s involvement with Women in Super began and still continues to date.

Marian Poirier

Senior Manager, Business Development, BNP Paribas Asset Management.

Marian joined BNP Paribas Asset Management Australia in November 2002, and is responsible for institutional business development and client relationships in New South Wales. Prior to this Marian spent four years (1998-2002) with BNP Paribas Asset Management in Paris working in the quantitative equity team as an emerging market fund manager.

Marian has also worked with Paribas Group Australia (1994-1998) in client service and business development for asset management.

Marian earned a Degree in Business Economics and French from Queens University of Belfast, N Ireland and has also a Master of Finance from the University of Technology, Sydney. Marian is a Chartered Financial Analyst and is a member of the CFA Society of Sydney (CFAS).

Keri Pratt

Head of Client Service and Marketing, GMO Australia

Keri joined GMO Australia Ltd in January 2001 as director of business development & client service. At GMO, she is now responsible for client relationship management and marketing. She has more than 20 years experience in the superannuation consulting and investment industry. Keri was previously employed by MLC/ Lend Lease.

During this time, she held positions in superannuation consulting and wholesale investment management marketing. Keri earned her MBA (Exec.) at the Australian Graduate School of Management (University of NSW) and has a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance through the SIA. Keri is a partner of GMO Australia Ltd.

Jillian Reid

Client Service and Sales Manager for Mercer Global Investments Australia.

Jillian is responsible for current client relationship management and new business development for the MGI investment products.

Jillian joined Mercer Investment Consulting in January 2004 as Business Development Manager responsible for managing the new business process. She transferred to MGI client service and sales in April 2005.

Prior to joining Mercer, Jillian spent 5 years with MLC’s Implemented Consulting team in a variety of institutional client service and business development roles. Prior to MLC Jillian was a secondary education teacher for two years.

Jillian holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education from University of Newcastle. She also holds a Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning) and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from the Securities Institute of Australia.

Megan Chan

Megan is the Portfolio Manager responsible for real assets, including property and infrastructure, at Sunsuper.

Sunsuper was established as an independent, multi-industry superannuation fund and operates to generate profit for members. Sunsuper currently has over $13 billion under management and approximately 1,000,000 members.

Megan has over twelve years experience in the financial services industry and prior to joining Sunsuper spent nine years as a Fund Manager in the Property and Alternative Investments division of Colonial First State Global Asset Management.

Suzanne Pence

Suzanne Pence is a Client Relationship Manager for State Street Investor Services. She has more than 15 years experience in investment and financial services industries. Prior to State Street, Ms Pence was employed by Perpetual Investments as Senior Portfolio Specialist for Global Shares and Multi-Sector funds and by Franklin Templeton as an Institutional Business Development Manager. She originally came to Australia 1996 with JPMorgan Investment Management Melbourne as a Client Portfolio Manager for Global Markets.

Taking a break from investment management, Ms Pence was Managing Director of Data Solutions Australia, a privately-owned direct marketing company based in Sydney where she was responsible for finance, compliance, operations and sales.

Prior to Australia, Ms Pence has had various roles in fixed income trading and risk management at JP Morgan and accounting/audit experience.

Ms Pence graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in Mathematics and Economics. She earned her MBA in Finance and Accounting from New York University Stern School of Business.

Dianne Behringer

Dianne has worked with superannuation since 1986, first as a HR Manager and later as Fund Secretary/CEO of a number of corporate superannuation funds.

Having such a long association with superannuation, has meant riding the wave of change that superannuation presents as a challenge to us all, including the advent of award super, the introduction of SG, the introduction of SG surcharge, ASIC AFS licensing, APRA Licensing etc, etc.

Working with corporate funds has also provided Dianne with the opportunity of being across all aspects of superannuation, from administration to investments to compliance and the ever challenging annual review.

Dianne currently works for the Retail Employees Superannuation Trust (REST) where she works closely with the CEO, the Board and various Committees of REST. Working with such a large industry fund has been a challenge but also a wonderful learning opportunity.

Dianne has a Master of Business Degree (Employment Relations) through UTS and is currently studying for a Diploma of Corporate Governance with Chartered Secretaries Australia. Dianne is a Fellow of ASFA.

Susan Roberts

Susan Roberts is a Managing Director of Lazard Asset Management. She has over 15 years of experience in the Australian superannuation and investment market. Prior to joining Lazard in 2002, Susan was Director, Business Strategy for MLC Corporate Solutions. Her other past affiliations include Director of Client Services at Lend Lease Investment Services and a variety of investment and technical roles with the MLC and Capita Financial groups. Susan holds a BEc from Macquarie University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia.

VICTORIA:

Catherine Elmes

Catherine brings more than 15 years experience in the Financial Services industry to the Victorian WIS Management Committee where she has been a Committee member since the start of 2006.

As a founding staff member of Vanguard Investments Australia, she began her career ten years ago as the first member of Vanguard's Operations team. Having established the operations department from scratch, she eventually became the Head of Operations and a member of Vanguard's Executive Team in 1999. After having her first baby in 2002, she decided on a career change from Operations, moving into client relationship management. Today she works with many of Australia's largest Superannuation Funds and institutions in her role as Institutional Client Relationship Manager.

Prior to joining Vanguard, Catherine worked at National Custodian Services for six years in the Master Custody and the Client Relationship Management Team.

Lisa Marquez

Lisa works with Cbus Superannuation Fund as their Office Manager. Working with the Operations Manager, she is proud of the ‘extra’ side of Cbus – the one that cares about members’ health and welfare and actively promotes this through information and education. She has recently come across from the Community & Public Sector Union, where she worked for many, many years as Executive Officer with a passionate focus on member superannuation, ageing and Indigenous issues.

Lisa has also recently joined the Women in Super Victorian Management Committee and feels pleased to be a part of an institution that exists to provide women with so many opportunities: networking with others in the superannuation industry; personal and professional education & development, and community issues.

Lisa lives in Eltham, and claims to have three wonderful children who love to rule her world. Sports play a large part of the family life - Lisa says thankfully all children have inherited their fathers sports prowess rather than their mothers ball-handling skills! Lisa loves to spend any spare morsels of time left over reading, playing tennis and meeting up with friends over food.

Amy Jewell

Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia

As a Manager at KPMG I have over 7 years experience in providing audit and advisory services, specialising in superannuation. I control a number of superannuation audit engagements as well as being responsible for overseeing the training, technical development and recruitment of our Melbourne superannuation team.

I believe Women in Super provides a unique opportunity for me to meet and work with others in putting forward ideas and contributing to the growth of Superannuation as well as encouraging and creating new opportunities for women to advance their career in a rewarding environment

Melissa Birks

Melissa has been working in super for approximately eight years. She commenced her super journey working for one of the many regulators, the ATO. While working on the lost super campaign she came into contact with Industry Fund Services and soon after took up a role working with their allocated pension and managed funds.

Upon entering the private sector she was thrilled to discover that coffee, milk AND biscuits were provided in the kitchen! Her fascination with lost super never left her and some time later she took up the position of manager of AUSfund, Australia's unclaimed super fund. From there she went on to manage the joint Industry Super Fund campaign, Compare the Pair, in it's first 18 months of existence, an exciting and busy time!

A stint at Members Equity Bank was educational but convinced her that super was more her thing and consequently returned to the family in March 2007 as HOSTPLUS' National Marketing Programs Manager, the role she currently holds. She has been an active member of the Mothers Day Classic for five years and a previous member of WIS Victorian committee. In her spare time she studies part time, goes to the movies, and seeks out groovy little bars in the back alleys of Melbourne.

Belinda Ray

Belinda Ray is the Chair of the Victorian Women in Super Management Committee. Belinda is a Chartered Accountant with over thirteen years experience in the superannuation industry and is a Principal at Watson Wyatt Australia.

Belinda commenced her career working on self-managed superannuation funds and then moved to Ernst & Young where she was an Audit Manager in the Superannuation Team. After almost six years, Belinda moved to Watson Wyatt where she is currently responsible for relationships with several clients in the Melbourne office. Belinda is also the Compliance Manager for Watson Wyatt Superannuation Pty Ltd in its capacity as an approved trustee, and Compliance Manager for Watson Wyatt Australia Pty Ltd.

Belinda holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting & Information Systems), is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and is a member of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Extended Public Offer Liaison Group and the ASFA Compliance discussion group.

Belinda lives in Geelong and enjoys spending time with her husband and young son, snow skiing, cooking, dinner parties, shopping and reading.

Belinda is excited by her appointment to the committee, and looks forward to meeting and working with WIS members.

Chris Deakin

Chris joined Superpartners in November 2006 as Manager, Business Development and Marketing. Her financial services experience spans over 17 years with over 11 years gained in the Credit Union movement where she held General Management and Marketing roles. She has a strong background in all marketing disciplines and has led key business development programs across a range of industries including financial services (retail banking) and the medical indemnity industry. One of Chris' largest successful projects was the rebranding of BHP Credit Union to their new identity Big Sky.

She has been actively involved in a number of industry and community based committees throughout her career, including State President and National Director of the Australian Institute of Credit Union Management and Council President of both Heidelberg Primary School and Viewbank College. She is married and has two teenage sons and is generally very busy!

Vicki Martyn

Head of Product Development

Vicki is the Head of Product Development at NAB Custodian Services and is responsible for developing new products for the master custody & fund manager client base of Australia's largest custodian. Prior to this role, Vicki was Head of Fund Manager Client Relationships with overall responsibility for NCS' fund manager client base. She held this role for seven years. Vicki has also held various roles within NAB over the past 18 years, specialising in funds management and securities services.

Vicki holds an Associate Diploma in Business (Banking and Finance) and is a Fellow of FINSIA.

Gemma Pinnell

Gemma Pinnell is the General Manager of ACTU Member Connect, the commercial arm of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. This position manages the ACTU's Superannuation Sponsorship Program and oversees a range of marketing, events and communications functions for the peak body for the Australian Union Movement. Gemma is also a member of the Steering Committee for the 2008 Super Cadets program.

Gemma has a background in training and union membership development, having previously worked as a senior manager overseeing the Training and Recruitment area of the National Tertiary Education Union, the Australian University staff union.

Prior to this she worked in a range of campaign, policy and communications roles advocating social justice, feminist and environmental issues. She was awarded first class Honours in Women's Studies & Politics from Monash University and is currently completing a Masters in Applied Communications at RMIT. Gemma is also a fitness enthusiast and keen cook.

Vicky Stanic

Katiana Velcek

Katiana has worked in the superannuation industry since 2004. Katiana is currently Special Projects Manager of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST), where she works on a wide range of initiatives including the 2008 Super Cadets Program and Global Dialogue 2008.

Katiana has previously held roles with HESTA Super Fund and the ACTU's commercial arm, ACTU Member Connect, where she was involved in superannuation marketing and the coordination of the 2006 Super Cadets Program.

Katiana currently sits on the Victorian Mothers Day Classic Committee and is a member of the Women in Super Victorian Committee.

Beth Bisso

Beth Bisso joined HESTA in May 2006 as an Investments Analyst, responsible for HESTA's fund manager relationships in listed equities and absolute return strategies. Prior to joining HESTA, Beth worked at UniSuper for three years as an Investment Analyst, Operations. Other organisations within the Financial Services industry where Beth has worked include Vanguard and National Custodian Services.

Beth is a new Committee member of Women in Super and looks forward to progressing on the work that has already been done on advancing women's issues and knowledge in superannuation.

Alison McIvor

Alison has senior management responsibility for AustralianSuper's growing Marketing and Communications Unit and development of the strategic direction of the Fund's Annual Program. She was responsible for the ARF / STA / AustralianSuper Merger Re-branding Project involving more than 3,000 brand touch points as well as the development of the Fund's recently launched Account based Pension. Prior to the establishment of AustralianSuper, Alison managed ARF's Annual Marketing, Business Development and Communications Program for almost nine years.

She has also worked as a radio reporter, media relations officer, marketing and communications consultant, and the Executive Director of an industry association where she was responsible for development and provision of member services. Alison has a Bachelor of Arts (Monash University), a Masters of Marketing (Melbourne Business School) and a Diploma of Financial Planning (Financial Services).

Erica Hall

Erica has worked in the financial services industry since 1994.Her first role was as a Money Market Dealer at ANZ Investment Bank where she was responsible for selling interest rate products to ANZ clients. She then held the position of Vice President, Interest Rate Risk at Deutsche Bank where she was responsible for marketing interest rate products to Melbourne clients. Erica worked for a brief time as a financial adviser at MLC Private clients prior to joining Vanguard in April 2002 as a Business Development Manager. In this role she was responsible for servicing and developing Vanguard's financial adviser client base. In 2004 she joined Vanguards institutional team as a Sales Manager where she is responsible for expanding Vanguards institutional client base nationally.

Erica holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Deakin University, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance from FINSIA and a Masters of Financial Planning from RMIT. She has also obtained an accredited dealer status through Australian Financial Markets Association, is RG 146 compliant and is a member of the RMIT School of Economics, Finance and Marketing advisory committee.

Erica was the inaugural winner of the Australian/Arab Chamber of Commerce scholarship which enabled her to study the Arabic language intensively at Yarmouk University in Irbid Jordan for three months.

TASMANIA:

Sandra Byers

Superannuation Services Assistant, IAS

I am married, with two boys aged 17 & 13.

I worked on a casual basis for Superpartners for 8 years before being transferred to Industry Administration Services in 2003, I am now employed as a permanent part-timer.

I volunteered for a junior football club in Hobart’s northern suburbs for the nine years, four of which were as Secretary. In 2004 I was inducted as a Life Member, which was a great honour.

I have for the last four years been involved in fundraising as Treasurer on a parent committee for the T.S. Derwent Australian Navy Cadet Unit.

I joined the WIS group to get a broader insight into other women’s views and ideas, also to help with fundraising for a very worthy cause being Breast Cancer research.

I am also on the organising committee of the Hobart Mothers Day Classic, which is a very rewarding position.

Alison Dixon

Client Services Manager, HESTA

Alison has been a Client Service Manager with HESTA for just on ten years and moved to Hobart from I to open HESTA’s Tasmanian office in July 2003. She holds a Diploma of Superannuation Management, an Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (Superannuation) is a Fellow of ASFA and a member of the ASFA Executive (Tasmanian Sub-Committee).

She is Chair of the Women in Super Tasmanian Forum, also representing the group at national level and Chair of the Hobart Mothers Day Classic Organising Committee. The Mothers Day Classic has just been successfully run in Hobart for the first time and Alison describes her role in heading up the local organising committee as one of the most rewarding challenges she has undertaken.

Prior to joining HESTA, Alison managed the Victorian Branch of the Australian Nursing Homes and Extended Care Association (ANHECA) for eight years and ran her own business.

She is married with one daughter and two stepdaughters and with her husband Graham is STILL building that house down at Middleton, but assures as it will definitely be finished before the next ADC!!!

Shona MacLeod

Self Managed Superannuation, Financial Synergy

I am a relative newcomer to the Superannuation industry having been working for Financial Synergy in the Self Managed Superannuation team for four years.

The last four years has been a steep learning curve for me and during this time I have achieved my Diploma of Financial Services (Superannuation).

I joined Women in Super to meet other women in the superannuation industry and also to help with the fund raising for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, which is a charity very close to me as there has been a very high incidence of breast cancer in my family.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA:

Collectively the SA WIS Executive committee has over 90 years experience within the superannuation industry here in SA.

The committee has grown in numbers from two dedicated representatives to a committee of 8, with representatives from all areas of superannuation: industry and public sector funds, administration and trustees.

The committee aims to maintain an open atmosphere where women from all facets of superannuation and financial services in SA can meet, network and discuss issues of importance in their fields.

It is also an opportunity to hear how women from different areas of industry and social influence use their experience to develop in their areas of expertise & careers.

One of WIS’s primary goals is to support ongoing fund raising initiatives in the area of breast cancer research through participation in the Pink Ribbon Day Breakfasts and the Mothers Day Classic.

In 2006 we look forward to continued growth of WIS in SA and most importantly the continued professional development of all its members.

QUEENSLAND:

Jan Bray

Co-ordinator, Cbus

Kate Grant

Senior Business Relationship Manager - Global Equities, QIC

Lisa Cumberland

ACT: