After almost a decade with Link Group, HESTA has announced its partnership with Grow Inc for outsourced administration services.
It is expected to be completed towards the end of 2024.
The $72 billion superannuation fund said it builds on an existing partnership as Grow Inc delivers administration services to around 13,000 members of the fund’s HESTA for Mercy product after the merger with Mercy Super late last year.
HESTA chief executive, Debby Blakey, views this as an opportunity to respond to the fast-changing needs of its members in real time.
“The Grow Inc. platform is expected to help us improve member experiences, data management and provide us the flexibility to innovate at greater pace and more efficiently,” Blakey stated.
“That’s going to help our members face the future with confidence and support a seamless super experience for our partners.”
She added that the superannuation industry is facing a rapidly changing technology landscape in the years ahead, pushing funds like HESTA to build its data, technology, and digital capabilities.
“This partnership with Grow Inc. represents an exciting new chapter in our development as a data and technology-driven organisation,” Blakey said.
“We want to work collaboratively with Grow Inc. and other partners to create personalised, adaptive, and increasingly predictive experiences at scale for members across various channels that’s going to help them have a better financial future.”
In a statement to the ASX, Link Group confirmed its contract for the provision of fund administration services to HESTA will not be renewed.
HESTA represents around 4 per cent of the group’s financial year 2023 estimated group revenue.
Blakey added: “I’d like to acknowledge the work of the Link Group and recognise their continued hard work and dedication in helping our members and employers.”
HESTA, one of the largest super funds dedicated to Australia’s health and community services sector, has more than 1 million members.
Vanguard Super has reported strong returns across most of its investment options, attributed to a “low-cost, index-based approach”.
The fund has achieved double-digit returns amid market volatility, reinforcing the value of long-term investment strategies for its members.
Australian super funds notched a third consecutive year of strong returns, with the median balanced option delivering an estimated 10.1 per cent over the 2024-25 financial year, but an economist has warned that the rally may be harder to sustain as key risks gather pace.
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