Brighter Super CIO to step down

The super fund has announced that Mark Rider will step down from his position of chief investment officer (CIO) after deciding to “semi-retire” from full-time work.

Following a near four-decade career in finance and four years with Brighter Super, Rider said the “time was right” to look for “more balance” after a career as an investment professional.

“It has been an incredibly rewarding chapter of my career. I’m proud of what we have achieved in building a strong, collaborative investment team that consistently delivers for members,” Rider said.

The super fund confirmed that Rider will enter semiretirement as of 5 December 2025.

Brighter Super CEO Kate Farrar extended her gratitude to Rider for his leadership in developing a $35 billion portfolio after the merger of LGIAsuper and Energy Super, along with the acquisition of Suncorp Super.

“Mark has done an incredible job leading our investments over the past four years, guiding Brighter Super through a period of significant growth and consistently delivering strong returns for our members,” Farrar said.

She added that while he will be missed, members can rest assured that their investments “remain in safe hands”.

“Mark has built a highly skilled team of investment professionals, with significant experience in asset allocation and manager selection, and with a clear and disciplined investment philosophy – the team will continue to deliver the same high-quality performance and care for our members well into the future,” Farrar said.

Under Rider’s leadership, Brighter Super has highlighted how its investment and performance reporting have been strengthened, supported by advice from JANA and disciplined governance through its board and investment committees.

Farrar confirmed that the super fund has begun an executive recruitment process to appoint a new chief investment officer.

“This is a planned, positive transition,” she said. “Mark has been proactive in ensuring stability and continuity, and our members and partners can be assured that performance is driven by the strength of our team and processes, not one individual.”

Rider will remain with Brighter Super to support a handover and engage with key stakeholders, such as ratings agencies, advisers, and institutional partners.

He stated that he plans to explore non-executive opportunities following a short break, including board and advisory roles.

Rider praised the super fund’s investment team for its “collaborative and disciplined approach” toward portfolio construction, which focused on “selecting best-in-class” external managers, while “empowering senior internal leaders”.

“I leave knowing the team is well positioned for the next phase of Brighter Super’s growth,” Rider said.