In what represents further consolidation of the sector, financial technology company Sargon has announced it has acquired the Trustee Services business, comprising Diversa Trustees Limited and CCSL Limited (Diversa) from OneVue Holdings Limited for a total purchase consideration of $43 million.
Established in 2009, Diversa was one of the largest providers of superannuation trustee services with over $10 billion in assets under trusteeship, with Sargon’s assets under trusteeship and supervision now exceeding $50 billion.
Phillip Kingston, Sargon chief executive, said they had acquired a company with a solid operating track record with talented industry veterans.
“The acquisition will bolster Sargon’s capability and scale in trustee services, enabling us to expand our impact further in helping institutions and entrepreneurs to build better funds and financial products,” Kingston said.
Kingston said Diversa’s clients would soon have access to the Sargon Trustee Cloud, the company’s purpose-built trustee cloud infrastructure.
“At its core, Sargon is an enabling partner for institutions, entrepreneurs and governments looking to develop world-leading funds, financial products, platforms and pension systems that drive member outcomes, domestic investment and economic growth,” Kingston said.
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.