Two new hires for NGS Super will allow the superannuation fund to service current members and a growing base of new members on the ground in Queensland and Western Australia.
NGS Super has hired Neil Kent as business development manager (BDM) for Queensland and Jon Cheney for the same role in Western Australia to offer local support to a growing membership.
Kent will focus on increasing brand awareness among independent schools, credit unions, mutual banks and Uniting Church organisations in Queensland, while Cheney will focus on forming relationships with potential clients and seeking default arrangement opportunities.
NGS Super chief executive Anthony Rodwell-Ball said the merger with UC Super in March had grown the fund's membership in Queensland, where an office of four staff had been established.
"I think it's fair to say to have credibility you have got to have a local presence and a genuine local presence and when you do, and people are aware that you can service them literally on their doorstep, you get far more traction," he said
He said while it was still early days in Western Australia, the fund had spoken to a number of significant employers in both states about default arrangements.
Rodwell-Ball said NGS Super had grown by 25 per cent over the past four years, nationally.
The fund also extended its contact centre hours to accommodate members in the far eastern states, he said.
Expanding populations and the introduction of new communities on the back of the mining boom would lead to new non-government schools and possible default fund arrangements in both states, Rodwell-Ball said.
He said the industry super funds was committed to expanding into a national fund – one able to service all states locally.
Competition among super funds was fierce, particularly in Queensland, but remaining a niche small to medium sized fund would position NGS well, according to Rodwell-Ball.
