The fund has hired a former ART executive as its new head of group strategy.
Andrew Ko has been named head of group strategy at Aware Super, effective December 2024.
He joins the $180 billion fund from Australian Retirement Trust (ART), where he served as head of strategy for over two and a half years, and delivered the fund’s first enterprise-wide strategy since it was formed in 2022.
Aware Super chief operating officer, Sally Collins, described Ko as an “outstanding leader and thinker” with a strong track record of strategy development and implementation.
“He will lead Aware’s operational strategy, focusing on unlocking the full benefits of our recently completed, industry leading transformation project, as well as helping drive us towards our 2030 vision to reimagine retirement,” she said.
“Andrew takes up the role at an exciting time, with the reshaping and refinement of our operating model enabling us to innovate more rapidly and enhancing our ability to improve outcomes and experiences for our more than 1.1 million members.”
Prior to ART, Ko spent almost five years as head of financial strategy at Telstra and a year and a half as head of corporate strategy at Optus.
His vast experience also includes leadership roles at Royal Bank of Scotland, Lazard, and Commonwealth Bank.
Earlier this year, ART bid farewell to its chief commercial officer, Dave Woodall, who has since joined Insignia Financial as CEO for superannuation.
The fund also saw the departure of chief member officer, Lachlan East, who exited in August.
The retirement of two long-serving executives has presented an opportunity to consider operations and avenues for future growth, according to the fund.
The $340 billion fund has welcomed three senior investment executives to its London office as it continues to internalise the management of international equities, its single largest asset allocation.
The sovereign wealth fund has revealed six internal hires to support the execution of key strategies.
The fund has announced the departure of a second senior executive in as many months, with its chief member officer to finish up mid-December.