Mark Delaney
Mark Delaney, CIO and deputy chief executive of the AustralianSuper superannuation fund, is set to leave on June 20, 2026, after 25 years at the A$400 billion ($265.42 billion) fund.
The super fund will conduct a global search for his replacement.
AustralianSuper CEO Paul Schroder said Delaney has made a significant contribution to the fund and the country’s broader super industry.
“By building and leading a high performing global team Mark has made more money for more Australians than any super fund chief investment officer in the country,” Schroder said in a statement.
Delaney became CIO in 2006 when AustralianSuper was created via the merger of the Australian Retirement Fund and the Superannuation Trust of Australia, of which Delaney was chief executive.
At that time, the combined fund managed about A$20 billion of member assets. Today, those assets total more than A$400 billion on behalf of more than 3.6 million members.
“Around half that growth was due to investment returns achieved under Mark’s leadership, or around A$190 billion,” Schroder’s statement continued.
“Mark has always been a truly member–centric investor. His calm, thoughtful and considered approach to everything he does has seen him deliver for members through economic cycles.”
Schroder added in the statement:
“He is known for his deep commitment to his colleagues, generous approach to mentoring a generation of leaders and his characteristic warmth and sense of humor.”
Schroder described Delaney as “a critical contributor to the evolution of Australia’s world class super system.”
“His leadership is evident in decisions such as the introduction of portfolio holdings disclosure well before it was a regulatory requirement, playing a more active role in the stewardship of investee companies, and bringing more investment management in house to help deliver better returns for members,” Schroder said in the statement.
Delaney, in a statement, said it has “been an honor every day, but it’s time to go.”
“Until I call time with the fund in June, I will work my hardest to get members the returns they deserve,” Delaney said in the statement.
“I am extremely proud of what AustralianSuper has achieved for members, and I’ve been lucky to work with some of the most talented people in the financial services industry.
We transformed superannuation investing in Australia by becoming an active investor in a range of asset classes and building a globally diversified portfolio so every member can now invest in world class opportunities at scale.”
In addition to his other accomplishments, Delaney was also a member of CIO’s Power100 list of allocator leaders since 2022.
A version of this article originally appeared in our sister publication, Financial Standard, which like CIO is owned by ISS STOXX.Tags: Australiansuper, Mark Delaney