Bernard Reilly, chief executive of Australian Retirement Trust (ART), has been named as the Fund Executive of the Year by Fund Executive Association Ltd (FEAL).
FEAL described him as “demonstrating exceptional strategic planning and leadership skills in coordinating a successful merger of Sunsuper and QSuper to form ART” in 2022.
This required the co-ordination of over 2,500 team members, the development of a new investment plan, new brand, and enterprise strategy.
Reilly was formerly CEO of Sunsuper and took on leadership of the newly merged fund in 2022. It is now Australia’s second-largest super fund with $240 billion in retirement savings for 2.2 million members.
FEAL chair, Brian Delaney, said: “By recognising outstanding leadership in super we aim to build individual capability and increase confidence in our retirement savings system. This ultimately improves retirement outcomes for all Australians with super.
“Bernard’s leadership has taken two already strong funds that were locally focussed through a complex and high-stakes merger process to create a fund that now ranks as one of the largest pension funds.”
ART chair, Andrew Fraser, added: “Amidst this challenging environment, Bern demonstrated exceptional leadership by adeptly navigating the complexities and successfully launching ART. Despite the hurdles of evolving work practices, geopolitical tensions, and natural disasters, such as the devastating Brisbane floods, Bern’s resilience and competence prevailed, resulting in the successful launch of ART.
“Bern’s selection as CEO for the merged organisation reflected his exceptional investment and risk governance leadership credentials. He brings an in-depth understanding of global asset management and broad strategic experience in superannuation, funds management and enterprise transformation.”
Prior to working as the CEO of ART, Reilly worked at firms including DBR Advisory, NAB Asset Management, and State Street Global Advisors.
Previous winners of the award include Julie Lander, CEO of CareSuper in 2022, and former UniSuper CEO, Kevin O’Sullivan, in 2020.
