Australia’s Hostplus Names Deputy Co-CIO

The hospitality industry superannuation fund promoted Susan Orr from within.



The Hostplus Superannuation Fund has promoted Susan Orr to deputy CIO following the recent departure of Con Michalakis, who took  the top investment job at Funds SA. The A$115 billion ($71.90 billion) industry superannuation fund for hospitality workers confirmed that Orr will now serve as co-deputy CIO alongside Greg Clerk. She will report to CIO Sam Sicilia.

Most recently, Orr was head of investment research and real assets—a role she assumed last June after seven months with the fund.

Orr joined Hostplus from Jana Investment Advisers, where she worked for 12 years as head of infrastructure. Before that, she served as a senior associate in the infrastructure, utilities and renewables group at Macquarie Capital. Earlier in her career, Orr was an economic researcher at what was then consulting firm ACIL Tasman.

Orr’s appointment surprised some investment professionals, given her relatively short time in the superannuation industry. However, they accept that her consulting experience with Hostplus would help a smooth transition into her new role.

Want the latest institutional investment industry
news and insights? Sign up for CIO newsletters.

Industry insiders told Financial Standard that Clerk is also a former Jana employee, which means that Hostplus’ two most senior people after Sicilia come from the asset consultant.

In addition, before becoming the fund’s CIO in 2008, Sicilia had held several roles in asset consulting with Russell Investments, Frontier and Towers Perrin.

Michalakis will begin his role at Funds SA, the investment corporation owned by the government of South Australia, in February, replacing Matt Kempton, who has led the investment team for the last six months as acting CIO.

This article originally appeared in our sister publication, Financial Standard, which, like CIO, is owned by ISS STOXX.

Tags: , , , ,

«