George Fishlock has been unanimously elected as the new chair of the board at AVSuper.
He will replace current AVSuper chair Tom Grant in January 2013. Grant is leaving to pursue other opportunities in the superannuation industry, having founded the fund and acted as chair since 1990.
Fishlock has been a member representative on the board for 14 years and an air traffic controller for 30 years.
As chair of the investment committee, he has been involved in due diligence of investment managers and investment processes, nationally and internationally.
He has also chairs the audit, compliance and risk management committee.
AVSuper chief executive Michelle Griffiths thanked Grant for his commitment in shaping the fund for 22 years and expressed confidence the fund was in Fishlock's "capable hands".
The two funds have announced the signing of a non-binding MOU to explore a potential merger.
The board must shift its focus from managing inflation to stimulating the economy with the trimmed mean inflation figure edging closer to the 2.5 per cent target, economists have said.
ASIC chair Joe Longo says superannuation trustees must do more to protect members from misconduct and high-risk schemes.
Super fund mergers are rising, but poor planning during successor fund transfers has left members and employers exposed to serious risks.