Overview
The financial services industry is in the midst of a profound technological shift. Artificial intelligence, data, and emerging technologies are transforming how wealth is created, managed, and delivered — from superannuation and financial advice to investment management and regulatory oversight.
The Technology in Wealth Summit will bring together senior leaders and practitioners, innovators, regulators, and technology partners to explore how these advancements are being adopted and what the future holds. At the core of this transformation lies data — the fuel enabling automation, insight, and intelligent decision-making across every aspect of the financial ecosystem.
This full-day forum is designed to move beyond the hype. Through hands-on demonstrations, interactive panels, and forward-focused dialogue, the program will cover:
- How AI and data are already reshaping superannuation, advice, and investment operations
- The rise of RegTech and governance frameworks to manage risk and compliance
- Cyber resilience and how AI is used both to prevent and to perpetrate scams and fraud
- Building ethical and responsible AI systems that maintain trust and transparency.
Delegates will leave with deeper insight into how AI, data, and emerging technologies are influencing the future of wealth management — and fresh opportunities to connect, collaborate, and continue the conversation across the sector to deliver better outcomes for members and clients.
You will take away actions, practical insights, frameworks, and contacts to accelerate responsible AI adoption in your own organisation.
This event is recognised as contributing to Continuing Professional Development (CPD): 5 hours | 5 CPD points.
SPONSORS
major partners
Supporting partners
Networking Partner
Session Partner
Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for sponsorship opportunities.
PROGRAM
Speaker
Blake Briggs
CEO, Financial Services Council
A future-focused keynote with technologist and futurist Mark Pesce exploring how the rapid acceleration of AI, agentic technology and automation is reshaping productivity, talent, digital infrastructure and competitive dynamics across financial services.
Building on his concept of a recent “watershed” moment, where AI has become “good enough” across a wide range of tasks, Mark will challenge leaders to consider what happens when core steps in existing business models become optional, and what that means for incumbency, trust and long-term competitiveness.
Mark will explore the capabilities and foundations organisations need to harness AI effectively, while remaining fundamentally human-centred, and how leading firms are leaning in to strengthen their competitive position in an increasingly agent-driven environment.
Drawing on his experience advising boards and senior leaders, Mark will offer a practical lens on the next 2–3 years, and what this means for organisations navigating the shift from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption.
SPEAKER
Mark Pesce
Inventor, educator and futurist
AI is no longer experimental - it is now reshaping core operations across financial services. As adoption accelerates, leaders are confronting big questions: how to embed AI securely and responsibly, how to protect data, and how to balance innovation with control and sovereignty.
This session at the FSC Technology in Wealth Summit will examine how organisations are moving from ambition to execution including:
This is a practical, strategy focused conversation on what it really takes to turn AI strategy into operational impact.
SPEAKERS
Amber Auld
Head of Capital Markets, Insurance & Banking, Microsoft Australia & New Zealand
jason Entwistle
Director Strategic Development, Hub24 Limited
Clive van Horen
Group CEO, Colonial First State
Scams are evolving fast and increasingly powered by AI. Traditional fraud controls are no longer enough.
In this live demo session, Apate.ai will showcase how artificial intelligence is being deployed to engage directly with scammers in real time, diverting them away from customers while capturing critical intelligence.
This approach aligns with the direction of the Scam Protection Framework, shifting the focus upstream from response to prevention and disruption. Rather than simply blocking threats, scam attempts become a source of insight, helping organisations identify patterns earlier, strengthen defences and act at scale.
This is a practical look at AI in action and what the move to proactive, intelligence-led fraud defence means for customer protection, trust and the future of financial services.
SPEAKERS
Brad Joffe
Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer, Apate.ai
Consumers are increasingly turning to AI tools for education, guidance and confidence to act - often before they reach a fund, adviser or product provider - and the implications for the sector are significant.
This session will explore how organisations are re-thinking customer engagement, marketing and member education and what this means for trust, accountability and the evolving role of advisers, superannuation funds, platforms and investment providers.
We will also showcase a live demonstration of a voice-enabled ‘virtual adviser’ for a real-time look at how effectively AI is inserting itself between customers and traditional advice and product channels.
An essential conversation for leaders shaping the future of member engagement and advice delivery.
SPEAKERS
Matt Brown
CEO, Fortnum Private Wealth & Personal Services
Will Liang
CEO, Amplify AI Group
Wendy Mak
Chief Marketing Officer, MUFG Pension & Market Services
Rebecca Pope
Head of Marketing & Communications, Vanguard Australia
Keith Cullen, CEO, WT Financial Group CEO will share a live demonstration of RADAR, a world-leading AI-enabled risk management and peer review platform operating across a national adviser network.
Delivering real-time analysis, high-volume file review and granular identification of key risk indicators, RADAR is redefining how advice quality, supervision and governance are managed at scale.
Following the demo, this session will explore how AI is reshaping risk management, compliance, and professional oversight — and why this shift matters for CEOs, risk leaders, and advice professionals across financial services.
SPEAKERS
Keith Cullen
Founder and CEO, WT Financial Group Limited
Blake Briggs
CEO, Financial Services Council
Financial services is in the midst of a profound technological shift, with AI, data and digital infrastructure now central to how wealth is created, managed, distributed and protected. At the same time, a more volatile and interventionist geopolitical environment is reshaping how these technologies are developed, governed and deployed.
This keynote argues that geopolitics is no longer a background condition, it is now a direct and active force shaping financial services. The operating environment is becoming less predictable and less driven by purely economic or technical logic.
It will explore what is structurally different about today’s geopolitical landscape, including intensified strategic competition between major powers, declining trust within and between societies, and ongoing instability and the increasing risk of disruption to trade, capital and digital infrastructure.
These dynamics are already playing out in practice, through more assertive government use of regulatory and economic tools, faster and more prescriptive approaches to AI regulation, tighter control over data and digital infrastructure, rising expectations around resilience and security, and growing divergence across global regulatory regimes.
The session will examine what this means for financial services organisations in practical terms, where these trends are heading, and what leaders should be doing now as technology, regulation and geopolitics increasingly converge.
SPEAKER
Dr Merriden Varrall
Special Advisor | Geopolitics, KPMG
Geoff Lloyd
Industry Leader
As cyber threats rapidly evolve, artificial intelligence is reshaping both the sophistication and scale of attacks facing financial services organisations.
In this session, Reece Corbett-Wilkins, Head of First Response at Atmos, provides a frontline perspective on the current cyber response landscape, drawing on real cyber claims data across Australia and New Zealand. Attendees will gain rare insight into how AI-enabled attacks are unfolding in practice, how frequently they are occurring, and the tangible impact on organisations across the sector.
The discussion will move beyond awareness to action, outlining how firms can strengthen detection, preparedness and response capabilities at both an operational and leadership level. It will also highlight where C-suite executives should focus their efforts over the next 12 months to stay ahead of emerging risks and govern with confidence.
Designed for both technical and non-technical audiences, this session will connect to broader themes across the Summit and provide practical takeaways for navigating the next phase of cyber risk.
SPEAKERS
Reece Corbett-Wilkins
Chief Strategy Officer, Atmos
Data has long been positioned as a strategic asset in financial services, yet for many organisations the promised value has remained out of reach.
The rapid acceleration of AI is changing that equation.
Rather than requiring perfect data environments, leading organisations are now using AI to: extract greater value from existing platforms; accelerate insight generation; and improve decision making. What was once a constraint is increasingly becoming a source of competitive advantage.
Bringing together leaders across superannuation and institutional investment, this session will focus on where real progress is being made today, including:
This discussion will provide a clear view of what is working in practice, and where the next wave of opportunity lies.
SPEAKERS
Devan Naidoo
Senior Partner, Novigi
Ashwin Sinha
Chief Data, Digital & AI Officer, Macquarie Bank
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how super funds and asset managers build, monitor and stress test portfolios.
While not replacing human judgement, AI is enabling more scalable, consistent and data informed investment decision making — with growing relevance for long term retirement outcomes.
Today, AI is primarily a decision support capability, helping investment teams analyse complex datasets, model risk across market cycles and test portfolio resilience under a wide range of economic and longevity scenarios. As capability, confidence and governance frameworks mature, its deployment is expanding across the investment value chain.
This session explores:
The session will also examine how more integrated data platforms and richer datasets across public and private markets are strengthening total portfolio analytics and decision consistency.
Finally, it will consider how investment teams are evolving, with greater emphasis on judgement, oversight and governance, and a growing intersection between investment, data and technology capability.
SPEAKERS
Robert Ansari
Head of Analytics and Portfolio, Mercer
Damian Graham
Group Chief Investment Officer, Challenger
Subraya Pai
Strategic Client Relationship, BlackRock
Alison Telfer (Chair)
Chief Executive Officer, Schroders Australia
The final session features a dynamic discussion on how CEOs and boards are navigating AI, data and emerging technology in practice, balancing opportunity with risk, and reshaping culture, capability and customer trust in the process.
A candid look at what senior leaders are prioritising now and what they are preparing for next.
SPEAKERS
Nick Hamilton
Managing Director & CEO, Challenger Limited
Kelly Power
Chief Executive Officer, Colonial First State Superannuation
Blair Vernon
Chief Executive Officer, AMP Ltd
SPEAKER
Blake Briggs
CEO, Financial Services Council
SPEAKERS
Rob Ansari
Partner – Global Lead Mercer Analytics & Portfolio Solutions (Dublin)
Rob joined Mercer in Oct 2021 and is responsible for setting and driving the commercialization of Mercers Data and Digital Strategy and is responsible for managing a select number of Global Partnerships.
Prior to his move to Dublin in Sep 2024, Rob was based in Dubai where he was the Mercer Head of Wealth for India, Middle East and Africa.
Rob joined Mercer from MSCI where he was the Head of the Middle East, based in Dubai from 2012, joining MSCI in 2005 as a member of the Client Coverage team in London as the Head of Index Sales.
In his roles Rob has worked alongside and advised a multitude of asset owners (from the largest SWF and Pension Funds) to multiple family offices. During his role at MSCI Rob actively engaged local government, ministries, and policy makers in the strategic evolution of several Middle East capital markets.
Amber Auld
Head of Capital Markets, Insurance & Banking, Microsoft Australia & New Zealand
For over twenty years, Amber has been helping clients use technology as a tool to serve their business and quite simply - make it better. Inspired to improve the lives of people at their most vulnerable moments, today, leading capital markets, insurance & banking for Microsoft Australia & New Zealand, Amber is working across the industry to drive AI transformation. Prior to Microsoft, Amber spent 10 years at IBM building strategic partnerships across the property, real estate investment trust and media and entertainment sectors. In 2011, Amber made the move to Microsoft working with the public sector and for the past decade, dedicated to financial services in Australia creating strategic partnerships for broad reaching impact across Australia. Amber is Mum to 12 year old and 3 year old girls and a passionate advocate for women in technology & financial services.
Blake Briggs
CEO, Financial Services Council
Blake Briggs is the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Services Council.
Blake became CEO of the Financial Services Council in January 2022 after joining the FSC as Deputy Chief Executive Officer in 2020, where he was responsible for policy and advocacy on behalf of FSC members.
Blake has extensive experience as an advocate for the financial services industry. Blake has previously worked for Westpac Group, as Head of Government Affairs for Wealth, and at the FSC as Senior Policy Manager for Superannuation. Blake has also worked as a policy adviser and industrial advocate for the Commonwealth Government and the NSW Business Chamber.
Blake is also a member of the Board of Advice for the University of Sydney Business School's Discipline of Work and Organisational Studies. Blake holds a Juris Doctor from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor in Commerce (liberal studies) from the University of Sydney.
MATT BROWN
CEO, Fortnum Private Wealth & Personal Services
Matthew has over 20 years’ experience in the financial services and has held a diverse range of roles across the industry before joining Fortnum in December 2023 and playing a key role in the creation of the Entireti group. As CEO of Fortnum and Personal Financial Services (PFS) Matt’s remit is to guide and grow that part of the group. Immediately prior to this role Matthew was Executive General Manager of Advice for Australian Unity, and lead the transaction & transition for AU to bring PFS and Fortnum together.
Prior to joining AU, Matt was CEO of two licensees – Millennium 3 and Financial Services Partners. Prior to that Matt was with CBA/Colonial First State for 10 years in a range of roles including Head of Advice Development where he was responsible for distribution Growth & Innovation. Over the years Matthew has also held roles in fund administration, product management, insurance underwriting, and advice technical analysis & strategy.
During his time Matt has successfully completed a range of qualifications including a Master’s Degree in Financial Services Law, a Diploma of Financial Planning, and a Diploma of Superannuation Fund Management.
Reece Corbett-Wilkins
Chief Strategy Officer, Atmos
Reece Corbett-Wilkins is the Head of First Response + Recovery, and is the Chief Strategy Officer at Atmos.
For over 10 years, Reece has focused exclusively on cyber and privacy risk, having helped 1,000+ organisations through some of their most challenging times. Reece is particularly experienced in managing large scale multi-party data breaches, both locally and globally, and ransomware response. Reece works closely with the incident response industry, government, and law enforcement to achieve optimal outcomes for clients.
Reece's true passion is bringing the industry together to tackle this risk at an aggregate level. Reece is recognised for his contributions to thought leadership and law reform initiatives.
Keith Cullen
Managing Director and CEO, WT Financial Group
Keith has more than 35yrs experience as a corporate executive and entrepreneur across the financial services, broadcast media, and technology sectors. He is the founder and CEO, and largest (non-institutional) shareholder, of ASX-listed WT Financial Group Limited (ASX: WTL).
Established in 2010, WT Financial Group is one of largest financial adviser networks in Australia. Its wealth management, retirement planning, and personal risk insurance advice services are delivered primarily through a group of more than 400 privately-owned advice practices whose advisers operate as authorised representatives under the group’s Wealth Today, Sentry Advice, Synchron Advice, and Millennium3 subsidiaries.
WT Financial Group’s network of advice practices collectively deals with more than 100,000 clients – and have more than $23Bn of assets under advice; annual in-force personal insurance premiums of more than $400M; and new insurance premium sales for circa $25M annually.
Keith is a strong advocate for the advice profession, and for consumer-eccentric regulatory reform to improve access to financial advice for more Australians. He is also a member of the FSC Advice Board Committee.
Jason Entwistle
Director Strategic Development, Hub24
Jason Entwistle has over 30 years’ experience in financial services, establishing and managing a number of successful wealth management-related businesses. In 1990, he was part of a small team that created the successful Navigator master trust. Jason has consulted extensively on portfolio administrative platforms to over 20 leading financial institutions throughout Asia Pacific and the UK. He was the co-founder of Avanteos, which was launched in 2001 as Australia’s first online wrap platform and later purchased by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and rebranded Colonial FirstWrap. Jason is one of the longest-serving HUB24 team members, having been involved with the business in various roles for over 15 years
Damian Graham
Group Chief Investment Officer, Challenger Limited
Damian was appointed Group Chief Investment Officer in January 2026. Prior to this, Damian was Chief Investment Officer at Aware Super for 10 years. Damian has also held investment leadership roles at StatePlus, Macquarie Group and J.P. Morgan.
Nick Hamilton
Managing Director & CEO, Challenger Limited
Nick is the Managing Director and CEO of Challenger Limited.
He held a number of other senior executive roles at Challenger, since commencing in 2015, including Chief Executive, Funds Management.
Nick has also held senior leadership roles at Colonial First State and Invesco.
Nick has more than 20 years industry experience gained across Australian and international markets and has successfully led top tier global equity and multi-asset businesses both in Australia and the UK.
Clive van Horen
Group CEO, Colonial First State
Clive joined CFS as the Group CEO in January 2024. Before joining CFS Clive was the CEO of Suncorp Bank from 2020, where he led the transformation of the bank and delivered sustained growth and improved customer experiences.
Prior to Suncorp, Clive spent 10 years at CBA where he held a variety of leadership roles in retail, business banking and risk.
Earlier in his career, Clive worked in financial services, consulting and public policy in South Africa, including Nedbank and within the South African National Treasury.
Clive originally qualified as a chartered accountant and holds a PhD in Economics. He is a keen cyclist and supporter of cancer prevention, serving on the Board of Tour de Cure for several years, a successful cancer charity.
Brad Joffe
Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer, Apate.ai
Brad Joffe is a Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Apate.ai. Brad is an experienced executive, operator and investor with a career spanning technology, fintech, investment and professional services.
As a qualified lawyer, he spent several years working in mergers and acquisitions, advising on complex transactions across technology, finance and property before moving into Venture Capital investing as a Director at OurCrowd. More recently, he served as General Manager, APAC at Stream, where he led regional growth and commercial strategy, scaling the business into one of the world's leading fintechs.
Today, Brad focuses on building and commercialising Apate.ai, working with banks, telcos and regulators globally to deploy AI-driven technology that proactively disrupts scams and reduces fraud at scale. He is also a mentor with Startmate, supporting early-stage founders and leadership teams in Australia & New Zealand.
Will Liang
CEO, Amplify AI Group
Will is the CEO of Amplify AI Group, a consulting firm which advises, builds and coaches AI for the finance industry. With over 18 years’ experience leading AI, data and technology, he was CTO for MA Asset Management , served as enterprise architect and CIO for Macquarie Capital Asia Pacific as part of a decade at Macquarie Group, and led KPMG’s national regulatory technology practice.
Will is recognised internationally for his technology leadership, including as a Top Voice on LinkedIn for Data Science and AI and as a Global Top 100 Data and Analytics Leader by Corinium. He was also named one of Asia’s Top 100 CIOs by CIO.com. In Australia, he was named the Most Influential Asian-Australian in Corporate in 2023, selected in 2025 by the Department of Foreign Affairs as one of the inaugural Asian Australian Voices, and awarded an honorary fellowship at UTS for his work on AI education in 2024.
He also contributes to industry leadership as a non-executive director and Chair of the Nomination Committee on the board of the RegTech Association and was a former member of the Forbes Technology Council and the technology committee at the Financial Services Council.
He is a sought-after keynote speaker, having delivered talks at global conferences and industry events, including TEDx and the Financial Times.
Geoff Lloyd
Industry Leader
Geoff Lloyd is a financial services executive and board leader with extensive experience across wealth management, superannuation, and asset management. Best known for his leadership roles at Perpetual Limited and MLC, he has a strong track record in driving strategic growth, business transformation, and client-focused innovation. He is also a past Chair of the FSC.
Wendy Mak
Chief Marketing Officer, MUFG Pension & Market Services
Wendy Mak is Chief Marketing Officer at MUFG Pension & Market Services. Wendy has run their global marketing & communications team for the past 6 years, and also has global remit for ESG. Prior to that, Wendy was Chief Product Officer for their digital product suite, running a P&L and frontline business development and relationship management teams.
A tech-savvy marketing leader who is pro-AI but also pro-consumer disclosure, her expertise spans growth, transformation, digital products and ESG.
A first-generation Australian who migrated solo at just 16, Wendy now straddles boardrooms and social platforms as both a corporate executive and midlife micro influencer on Instagram. Wendy has also started up her own business and published a book in Australia and the US, making her a highly commercial and entrepreneurial marketer.
Her mission is also clear: champion true cultural and ethnic diversity at the executive and boardroom table - while keeping it real as we navigate and use AI in how we lead, work and live.
Devan Naidoo
Senior Partner, Novigi
Subraya Pai is a Director in Aladdin Client Engagement at BlackRock, based in Sydney, Australia, and a member of the Strategic Relationship Management team. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring institutional clients derive maximum value from the Aladdin technology platform, supporting effective adoption of Aladdin’s product suite and the implementation of Aladdin-centric solutions across client organizations.
Mr. Pai has been with the firm since 2005, including his tenure at Barclays Global Investors (BGI) prior to its merger with BlackRock in 2009. At BGI, he served as a Principal and Senior Infrastructure Engineer, leading an APAC-based team responsible for managing global database infrastructure. He transitioned into BlackRock Solutions Relationship Management in early 2011, where he has since focused on deepening client engagement and long-term platform adoption.
Before joining BlackRock, Mr. Pai worked as an Engineer at SAP, building a strong technical foundation that continues to inform his client-facing work with complex investment and risk technology platforms.
Mr. Pai holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Technology Sydney and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics from Mysore University.
Subraya Pai
Strategic Client Relationship, BlackRock
Subraya Pai is a Director in Aladdin Client Engagement at BlackRock, based in Sydney, Australia, and a member of the Strategic Relationship Management team. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring institutional clients derive maximum value from the Aladdin technology platform, supporting effective adoption of Aladdin’s product suite and the implementation of Aladdin-centric solutions across client organizations.
Mr. Pai has been with the firm since 2005, including his tenure at Barclays Global Investors (BGI) prior to its merger with BlackRock in 2009. At BGI, he served as a Principal and Senior Infrastructure Engineer, leading an APAC-based team responsible for managing global database infrastructure. He transitioned into BlackRock Solutions Relationship Management in early 2011, where he has since focused on deepening client engagement and long-term platform adoption.
Before joining BlackRock, Mr. Pai worked as an Engineer at SAP, building a strong technical foundation that continues to inform his client-facing work with complex investment and risk technology platforms.
Mr. Pai holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Technology Sydney and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics from Mysore University.
Mark Pesce
inventor, educator and futurist
Mark Pesce co-invented the technology for 3D on the Web - laying the foundations for the metaverse - has written nine books, including Augmented Reality: Unboxing Tech’s Next Big Thing, was for seven years a judge on the ABC's The New Inventors, founded postgraduate programs at USC and AFTRS, holds an honorary appointment at Sydney University, is a multiple-award-winning columnist for The Register, pens another column for COSMOS Weekly, and is professional futurist and public speaker. Pesce hosts both the award-winning 'The Next Billion Seconds' and 'This Week in Startups Australia’ podcasts.Pesce brings his skills as a futurist to diverse sectors of the economy, including business ranging from CBA, World Bank, Essential Energy and v2Food, while also mentoring startups working at technology’s bleeding edge.
Rebecca Pope
Head of Marketing & Communications, Vanguard Australia
Rebecca Pope is Head of Marketing at Vanguard Australia, where she leads brand, customer engagement and education across Vanguard’s investments and superannuation businesses, using modern marketing, technology and storytelling to help Australians at all life stages work towards their financial goals.
Rebecca has more than 16 years’ experience at Vanguard across marketing, distribution and enterprise transformation. Prior to her current role, she led Vanguard’s retail transformation agenda and headed Intermediary Distribution, where she was responsible for strategy, client experience and national sales capability.
With extensive experience across digital engagement, customer experience and operating model change, Rebecca brings a practical perspective on how technology is reshaping how consumers engage with their money and superannuation.
Kelly Power
Chief Executive Officer of Superannuation & Investments, Colonial First State Investments
Kelly Power was appointed CEO Colonial First State Superannuation in July 2021 and is also an Executive Director of the Trustee Board.
Kelly oversees the superannuation business including investments and product. She is also a Director of the CFS Superannuation Trustee board.
Previous roles in CFS include General Manager Product in 2018, with responsibility for marketing, strategy and for the Wrap business in October 2020.
Prior to Colonial First State, Kelly was Head of Platforms at BT Financial Group and also held several other executive management roles at BT and Asgard.
Kelly holds a Bachelor in Communications from UTS, a Diploma of Management from the Australian Institute of Management, a Diploma of Financial Services from Integratec and has also completed the Company Directors course at the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Kelly is a Co-Chair of the FSC Superannuation Board Committee.
She is a former Director of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA).
Ashwin Sinha
Chief Data, Digital & AI Officer, Macquarie Bank
Ashwin is the Chief Digital, Data & AI Officer at Macquarie Bank, where he is responsible for the strategy and execution of digital banking, data, and artificial intelligence.
In this role, he has been instrumental in embedding data and AI to enhance digital banking experiences, improve customer satisfaction, and strengthen risk management and regulatory compliance.
Prior to joining Macquarie in 2019, Ashwin was a Partner at KPMG, where he led the data and analytics business. Over his 20-year career in data engineering and management, he has held various global consulting, start-up, and engineering roles. His experience includes working with several global financial services organisation on significant business challenges with focus on digital, AI, and data to navigate regulatory complexities and drive commercial outcomes. Ashwin has also worked with some of the regulators on their data management strategy and frameworks
Alison Telfer
Chief Executive Officer, Schroders Australia
Alison joined Schroders as Chief Executive Officer in February 2026
Alison joined Schroders as Chief Executive Officer in February 2026 from UBS Asset Management where she was formerly the Country Head Australasia.
Alison has over 30 years of experience working in Australian and global asset management with roles spanning CEO, COO, product development, strategy, client distribution, legal, compliance, regulatory and government affairs. Alison brings these skills to her leadership of Schroders Australia and its goal of partnering with Australian clients to harness the power of investing locally and globally.
Prior to UBS Alison held a variety of roles at BlackRock over 9 years, most latterly COO Australasia and Chair of the Australian Board. Alison also worked at Challenger, initially as a lawyer, and latterly as director of specialised product development and institutional co-investments after beginning her career as a tax and intellectual property with firms King & Wood Mallesons and Ashurst.
Alison is a former director of the FSC, serving on the FSC Board from 2022 to 2025. She is currently a Co-Chair of the FSC Fund Management Board Committee.
Alison is passionate on the power of investing well, access to education and financial literacy as well as the benefits of a diverse workplace. She is a member of Chief Executive Women and was named in the 2024 AFR Women in Leadership Awards.
Alison holds a BA (communications)/LLB.
Dr Merriden Varrall
Special Advisor | Geopolitics, KPMG
Dr Merriden Varrall helps business understand and navigate the complex global geopolitical environment. She provides business-relevant insights into global, regional, and local geopolitical trends and works with clients to develop strategies and solutions to identify and mitigate risk and maximise opportunities.
Merriden is a sought-after analyst and adviser on geopolitics, East Asia, China’s foreign policy, and Australia’s bilateral relationship with China.
Merriden has three decades of experience in international relations, diplomacy, and strategic leadership. In addition to her current role as KPMG South ASPAC Geopolitics Special Advisor, she currently heads up geopolitical insights firm vantage geopol. She was KPMG Australia’s Director and then Lead Partner for Geopolitics 2018-2025. From 2014-2018, Merriden was the Director of the Lowy Institute’s East Asia Program. Before joining the Lowy Institute, Merriden was the Assistant Country Director and Senior Policy Advisor at United Nations Development Programme, China. Prior to that she worked for the Australian Government Treasury in macroeconomic policy and the Department of Family and Community Services in strategic policy.
Merriden spent almost eight years living and working in China, including as a UN diplomat, lecturing in foreign policy at the China Foreign Affairs University, and conducting fieldwork for her doctoral research.
Merriden has a PhD examining Chinese foreign policy from Macquarie University, Sydney, and the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. She has a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from the Australian National University and completed her undergraduate studies in international studies at the University of Technology Sydney. Her analyses have appeared in academic journals, as well as publications such as The Quarterly, The New York Times, Nikkei Asian Review, Foreign Policy, The East Asia Forum, and the Lowy Interpreter, among others.
Blair Vernon
Chief Executive Officer, AMP Limited
Blair has been announced as the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AMP Limited effective 30 March 2026. In this role his responsibilities will include leading the AMP business and driving the company’s strategy with a focus on strengthening customer outcomes and delivering sustainable growth. The CEO is also a member of the AMP Limited Board and AMP Bank Board.
Experience
Blair has over 30 years’ experience across the financial services sector in Australia and New Zealand. Blair has held various executive positions at AMP including his most recent role as AMP’s Chief Financial Officer and before that Group Executive Transformation and New Zealand. In the CFO and Transformation roles Blair tightened financial management, led a significant capital return program and successfully executed both the AMP Capital separation and the AMP Advice sale and partnership.
Blair served as Acting CEO for the AMP Wealth Management and AMP Bank businesses (formerly known as AMP Australia) in 2020-21 following a successful period leading the AMP New Zealand business.
Blair has also held senior roles in AMP’s Retail Financial Services; Advice & Sales and Marketing and Distribution functions.
Ticket PRICING - standard RATES
MEMBER
Individual: $455 +GST
Table of 8: $3,540 +GST
NON MEMBER
Individual: $570 +GST
Table of 8: $4,460 +GST
Networking drinks included in cost.
View the booking terms and conditions here.
Event DETAILS
Date
Wednesday 6 May 2026
TIME
8:15am / Registration and refreshments
9am - 5pm / Event sessions
5pm - 6pm / Networking drinks
VENUE
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
199 George Street, The Rocks