Aware Super chair Christine McLoughlin has taken up a position as a member of the Takeovers Panel.
The Takeovers Panel is Australia’s main body for resolving disputes during corporate takeovers and mergers.
McLoughlin is currently chair of Aware Super, a role she has held since October 2024, as well as chair of financial services firm Suncorp Group.
She is one of four new members to be appointed by the Governor-General to the Panel for terms of three years from 2 April, in addition to Justin Harris, Dr Jane McAloon and Antonella Pacitti.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn was formerly chair of Aware Super until McLoughlin took over.
Commenting on whether Mostyn’s position represented a conflict of interest, a spokesperson for Treasury told Super Review: “Members of the Takeovers Panel are appointed by the Governor‑General on the nomination of the responsible Minister. The Minister may only nominate a person if satisfied they are appropriately qualified and experienced in the fields specified in the ASIC Act. The Governor‑General does not personally select candidates or assess their suitability.”
Regarding how a member may navigate a conflict during their time on the panel if it affects a company they work with, the Takeover Panel states: “The Panel’s policy on conflict recognises that it would be impractical to exclude a member from sitting on a matter merely because there is, or has been, some connection between his or her organisation and a party to proceedings. However, the Panel will: discuss a potential conflict with a party if appropriate or disclose an interest in the declaration of interests letter.”
Minister for financial services, Daniel Mulino, said: “The Government has appointed and reappointed highly-qualified members to the Panel, bringing senior‑level experience across investment banking, law and corporate leadership. Their expertise in complex and contested public mergers and acquisitions will ensure the Panel remains well-equipped to deal with the full range of issues that arise during takeover activity.
“They maintain a strong balance of skills, experience and judgement across the Panel, while supporting the Government’s commitment to gender diversity on Australian Government boards.”
At the time of her appointment to Aware, the fund praised McLoughlin for her governance expertise which had distinguished her from other chair candidates, a characteristic affirmed by her appointment to the panel this month.
Aware Super’s chair of governance and nominations committee, Patricia Faulkner, said: “Attracting a chair of Christine’s calibre reflects the importance Aware Super places on good governance and its deep expertise in delivering optimal member experiences.”
Several panel members were also re-appointed for a three-year term including QBE Insurance non-executive director Yasmin Allen, who first joined in 2017, and founding partner of Barrenjoey Capital Partners, Erin Tinker.
The Panel now has 53 members all of whom are appointed on a part-time basis.
