GLOBAL INVESTMENT INSIGHTS

December 2025

The latest Frontier Advisors survey of fund managers servicing the Australian superannuation industry, released on 17 December 2025, reveals a clear shift in who fund managers view as wielding the greatest decision-making influence on capital allocation within the Australian A$4 trillion superannuation fund industry.

For the first time in the survey’s 10+ year history the dedicated investment teams for each asset class are seen as the most influential group in investment decision-making. More than half of managers now place these teams at the top of the influence ladder, with CIOs ranked second.

“The survey findings are consistent with our experience of the market. Through our close engagement with asset owners, we recognised this trend towards greater investment decision making responsibility sitting within the dedicated investment teams over the years, which has only become more pronounced”, said Global Investment Institute’s Managing Director, Zlatan Kapetanovic.

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October 2025

Global Investment Institute congratulates Mathew Barrie on his appointment to Portfolio Manager at CareSuper.

CareSuper is an award-winning, profit-to-member industry super fund. On 1 November 2024, CareSuper merged with Spirit Super to form a fund with over 615,000 members. As at 30 June 2025, the Fund had A$60 billion in assets under management.

Most recently, Mathew served as Senior Investment Analyst. He has been with CareSuper for three years, having joined in December 2022.

We wish Mathew all the best in his new role and continued success to the team at CareSuper.

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“Our Co-Chief Investment Officer model is critical to the successful implementation of our Total Portfolio Approach, ensuring that we manage the portfolio as a single entity rather than bifurcating it into separate parts.”

- Brad joined the New Zealand Super Fund in September 2013 and was appointed Co-Chief Investment Officer in 2024. He was previously Head of Portfolio Completion.

Prior to joining the Super Fund, Brad had worked for Cannacord Genuity in London as Co-Head of European Equity Derivatives. Brad spent 11 years working in London for various investment banks including Bear Stearns and JP Morgan.

In this exclusive interview with Global Investment Institute, Brad explains how the Fund’s new Co-Chief Investment Officer structure works in practice, how the Total Portfolio Approach enhances returns, and how the team balances passive and active management to add value. He shares which asset classes currently offer the most attractive opportunities, where risks are forming, and how longer-term themes like technology, AI, the energy transition, and critical minerals are shaping the portfolio.

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December 2025

Global Investment Institute congratulates Andrew Zhang on his promotion to the Principal & Portfolio Manager role at IAG.

IAG is Australia and New Zealand's largest general insurance company. IAG is the parent company of a general insurance group with controlled operations in Australia and New Zealand. Their businesses underwrite over A$17 billion of premium per annum, selling insurance under brands, including: NRMA Insurance, CGU, WFI and ROLLiN' (Australia); and NZI, State and AMI (New Zealand).

Most recently, Andrew served as Portfolio Manager at IAG for more than seven years, after joining the organisation in 2012.

We wish Andrew all the best in his new role and continued success to the team at IAG.

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December 2025

Global Investment Institute congratulates David O’Donnell on his appointment to the Acting Chief Investment Officer role at Brighter Super.

Brighter Super is an Australian superannuation fund with ~A$36 billion in assets under management and over 348,000 members.

Most recently, David served as Senior Portfolio Manager at Brighter Super, having joined the fund in 2017.

We wish David all the best in his new role and continued success to the team at Brighter Super.

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“Timing the market can be incredibly challenging and remaining invested through periods of volatility is the best approach.”

- Mark Rider was the Chief Investment Officer at Brighter Super from February 2022 until December 2025. Prior to finishing his tenure with Brighter Super, Mark shared his perspectives on a range of topics in an exclusive interview with us at Global Investment Institute.

In this interview, Mark shares how investors can navigate the “Four Horsemen of the Investment Apocalypse”: plague, war, inflation, and asset bubbles; how portfolio construction has evolved in the post zero-rate environment; his approach to balancing geopolitical risks; and, reveals strategic insights for boards navigating current macro volatility and regulatory evolution.

For background, during his tenure at Brighter Super, Mark was responsible for managing the investments team and for the delivery of investment outcomes across the Fund’s range of superannuation investment options.

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December 2025

Global Investment Institute congratulates Alexandra Campbell on her appointment to the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) role at JBWere.

JBWere is a private wealth management company providing individuals, families, business owners and for-purpose organisations with strategic wealth and investment advice, with ~A$60 billion in funds under management.

Alexandra will commence in the CIO role at JBWere in 2026.

We wish Alexandra all the best in her new role and continued success to the team at JBWere.

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December 2025

Global Investment Institute congratulates Tessa Volkmer on her appointment to the Associate Portfolio Manager, Sustainable Investment role at Australian Retirement Trust (ART).

ART is one of Australia’s largest super funds, formed through the merger of Sunsuper and QSuper, with more than ~A$330 billion in assets under management and over 2.4 million members.

Most recently, Tessa served as Director of Sustainable Investments, APAC at Wellington Management.

We wish Tessa all the best in her new role and continued success to the team at ART.

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December 2025

Global Investment Institute congratulates Angelos Siapkas on his promotion to the Chief Investment Officer role at REI Super.

REI Super is an Australian industry superannuation fund with ~A$2.3 billion in assets under management and over 25,000 members.

Most recently, Angelos served as Group Executive, Investment Governance and Operations at REI Super.

We wish Angelos all the best in his new role and continued success to the team at REI Super.

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“We are seeing a lot of investment in AI. I think valuations are looking a bit stretched and there are signs of frothiness but there's no certainty that we're in a bubble, and you actually don't know whether you're in a bubble until the bubble bursts.”

- John Pearce is the Chief Investment Officer of UniSuper. He joined UniSuper in 2009 and is responsible for the management of their investment functions.

John has over 35 years’ experience in the financial services industry both in Australia and Asia. He has held several senior positions including Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, Investments for Australia's largest asset management company, Colonial First State from 2000 to 2006.

In this exclusive interview with Global Investment Institute, John explains how UniSuper positions its portfolios amid evolving geopolitical events, the growing role of unlisted assets within a diversified allocation and how their Fund manages the illiquidity associated with private markets, as well as the advantages and challenges of UniSuper’s internal investment management program.

John explores how technological disruption and AI are shaping future market leadership, how to avoid the laggards and UniSuper’s position on the tech revolution. He also shares the key challenges and areas of progress in UniSuper’s journey towards decarbonising portfolios.

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