The Financial Services Council (FSC) has announced the appointment of Challenger managing director and chief executive Brian Benari to replace Ben Heap.
Heap recently resigned as managing director of UBS Global Asset Management to become chief executive of Australasian Wealth Investments.
Benari held a number of executive roles with JP Morgan, Bankers Trust and Macquarie Bank before joining Challenger in 2003.
During his time at Challenger he was a founding executive of Challenger’s Mortgage Management division, and in 2008 became the company’s first group chief financial officer/chief operating officer. He was appointed managing director and CEO in February 2012.
“Brian’s experience across a broad spectrum of institutional and retail financial services is welcomed by the FSC board,” FSC chairman Greg Cooper said.
“This will be particularly important when the financial services industry undergoes its review under the new government.”
Earlier this month, BT Financial Group chief executive Brad Cooper was named deputy chair of the FSC board.
