Independent · Australia · Tuesdays

Australia's super, wealth & advice industry — in 5 minutes a week.

Built from 50+ sources — distilled into the stories, moves and signals that matter.
Curated by Scott Bunny for industry leaders and ascending professionals.
Plus the Doom & Bloom Index and Hiring Activity Map — sector intelligence you won't find anywhere else.
DOOM & BLOOM SECTOR SENTIMENT INDEX
56
Neutral / Watchful Live
Regulatory leadership is in transition — ASIC chair Longo departs 31 May, APRA deputy Cole exits June 30. Market caution persists as XFJ holds near six-week lows. Payday Super six weeks out.
DOOM BLOOM
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
50+
Sources monitored weekly
5 min
Average read time
Tuesdays
In your inbox every week

Where the industry is hiring this week

The top employers by tracked open roles across superannuation, wealth, advice and platforms — refreshed weekly.

Refreshed weekly · 19 May 2026

What matters this week

What's moving the industry

🏛️ Funds & Super
REGULATORY CHANGE
ASIC chair Joe Longo departs 31 May — deputy chair Sarah Court steps up as incoming chair. APRA deputy Margaret Cole also exits June 30. Simultaneous regulatory leadership transition arrives as Payday Super enters final stretch.
LEADERSHIP
AustralianSuper's CIO search remains the sector's most-watched vacancy — Mark Delaney retires end of June, leaving the $365B mandate without a permanent leader. Expect an announcement within the next fortnight.
REGULATION
Payday Super six weeks out — employer contributions must align with pay cycles from 1 July 2026. Funds, employers and payroll integrators in final preparation. APRA signalling close monitoring of compliance readiness.
📈 Investments
NEW TALENT
Ben Facer — NGS Super's Deputy CEO — moves to Russell Investments as Head of Superannuation. Matt Wacher has now commenced at JANA as CIO. The asset consulting tier is building out fast.
CIO PIPELINE
Future Fund's Richard Brandweiner takes the CIO seat in July. AustralianSuper's global CIO search is at the six-week mark — the most consequential open vacancy in the sector. No announcement yet.
MARKETS
XFJ tracking near six-week lows as Federal Budget uncertainty pressures bank stocks. Infrastructure and private credit allocations continue to rise as funds diversify away from listed equities.
🤝 Advice & Distribution
POST-DEAL
Insignia now fully private under CC Capital and OneIM — integration of MLC, IOOF and Shadforth brands underway. Executive rationalisation expected over the next 12 months.
REFORM
Affordable advice reform advancing through parliament as the industry prepares for structural change to the delivery model. ASIC transition heightens attention on who will set the implementation tone.
CONSOLIDATION
Magellan/Barrenjoey merger targeting mid-2026 completion following 91.2% shareholder approval — combined entity targets ~$45B AUM and positions as a Macquarie rival.
Platforms & Tech
PAYDAY SUPER
Platform providers and payroll integrators in final build phase ahead of 1 July Payday Super — system readiness is the critical path for smaller employers. Six weeks to go.
AI & ADVICE
AI-assisted advice tools gaining AFCA and ASIC attention as deployment accelerates across platforms and licensees. New ASIC leadership will set the tone for how fast or slow AI in advice is regulated.
HIRING
Iress leads the tech sector with 13 open roles tracked, with Airwallex at 10. Bravura and Global X hiring selectively. Platform sector hiring remains cautious relative to super and wealth peers.

Who's moving — and where to go

Industry appointments and open roles, updated weekly.

THIS WEEK'S MOVES
Tracking 21 senior moves this month · Get the full list in Tuesday's briefing →
OPEN ROLES
995
Open Roles Tracked
50
Top Employers
8
Sectors Covered
Weekly
Data Refresh

Open Roles by Employer Type

995 tracked roles
Wealth Management — 37%
Superannuation — 15%
Technology & Platforms — 2%
Investment Consulting — 13%
Insurance & Retirement — 9%
Asset Management — 15%
Financial Advice — 6%
Government & Regulatory — 3%
Based on 995 verified open roles across 50 tracked employers, week of 19 May 2026.

Industry sentiment & signals

56
Neutral / Watchful
Regulatory leadership is in transition at the top. ASIC chair Joe Longo departs 31 May — deputy chair Sarah Court steps up — while APRA deputy Margaret Cole exits June 30. Combined with ASX CEO Helen Lofthouse's departure, Australia's financial regulatory infrastructure faces simultaneous leadership change at the same moment Payday Super implementation reaches its final six weeks. Markets are feeling the uncertainty: XFJ near six-week lows as budget-driven pressure on the banking sector persists.
Regulatory Climate
75
↑ Rising
News Sentiment
62
→ Mixed
M&A Activity
58
→ Quiet
Talent & Hiring
62
↑ Active
Market Pulse
48
↓ Cautious
EDITOR'S READ

The sector's regulatory architecture is changing guard simultaneously. ASIC chair Joe Longo — who ran the commission for five years — departs 31 May, with deputy chair Sarah Court stepping up. APRA's deputy Margaret Cole exits end of June. And ASX managing director Helen Lofthouse is also stepping down in May. This is not crisis — it is a scheduled transition — but the timing adds uncertainty at exactly the wrong moment: Payday Super goes live 1 July, with employers and platforms still in final build. Three major oversight positions in flux during the biggest payroll system change in a generation is a risk worth watching.

On the talent side, the flow is positive. Ben Facer — NGS Super's Deputy CEO — moves to Russell Investments to lead their superannuation division, continuing the professionalisation of the asset consulting tier we saw with JANA's Wacher hire. AustralianSuper's CIO search remains the most consequential open vacancy in the sector: Mark Delaney's retirement at end of June leaves a $365B mandate without a permanent leader. Expect an announcement in the next fortnight or this search becomes a distraction. The caution in market conversations is real but not alarming — this is a sector managing overlapping transitions, not one in distress.

Editorial assessment based on weekly news signals. Not financial advice.

The deals reshaping the industry

SPAC US$300M
Openmarkets / Lake Superior — Nasdaq SPAC Listing
Sydney-based wealth infrastructure provider agrees to combine with Lake Superior Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: LKSPU) at US$300M implied valuation. Plans for international expansion and digital assets strategy.
PR Newswire · In Progress — 2026
Merger $903M
Magellan / Barrenjoey — Full Merger
91.2% shareholder approval secured. Combined entity targets ~$45B AUM with full-service investment banking — positioned as a Macquarie rival at ~$1.6B market cap. Mid-2026 completion expected.
Money Management · In Progress — Mid 2026
Acquisition $3.3B
CC Capital & OneIM Acquire Insignia Financial
Deal completes 28 April 2026 — $4.80/share, 57% premium, taking Australia's largest wealth manager private. MLC, IOOF and Shadforth brands absorbed into private ownership.
Financial Standard · Completed 28 Apr 2026
Merger $237B
TelstraSuper → Aware Super
Merger completes 30 April 2026, creating Australia's second-largest industry fund at $237B with 1.3M members. TelstraSuper investment team wound down as Aware integrates.
Super Review · Completed 30 Apr 2026
Outlook $400B
21 super funds could merge in the near term
Conexus Institute's 2026 State of Super identifies up to 21 funds representing $400B in assets under active merger pressure.
Investment Magazine · Feb 2026
Acquisition AFSL
Ripple acquires BC Payments Australia for AFSL entry
Blockchain firm pursuing Australian Financial Services Licence — signals major institutional intent for digital asset settlement.
Australian FinTech · Mar 2026

Don't miss what's coming up

WE MONITOR 50+ SOURCES INCLUDING
Financial Standard
Financial Newswire
Investor Daily
Professional Planner
Super Review
SuperGuide
FS Super
Australian FinTech
ASIC Updates
APRA
AFR
KPMG Pulse
Fintech News AU
Netwealth Insights
Morningstar AU
Financial Standard
Financial Newswire
Investor Daily
Professional Planner
Super Review
SuperGuide
FS Super
Australian FinTech
ASIC Updates
APRA
AFR
KPMG Pulse
Fintech News AU
Netwealth Insights
Morningstar AU