Our Board

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Michael (Mick) J. O'Brien
FIAA, CFA, GAICD

  • Managing Director - 1 July 2016
  • Executive Director - 28 April 2016
  • Non-Executive Director – August 2014 to April 2016
  • Member of the Board Risk Committee - May 2015
  • Member of the  Equity Trustees Limited board - July 2018
  • Member of the Equity Trustees Wealth Services board - July 2018

 

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Carol Schwartz AO
BA, LLB MONASH, MBA, FAICD

  • Chair - Appointed 28 October 2020
  • Independent Non-Executive Director – March 2020 

 

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Catherine Robson
BA, LLB (Hons), Grad Dip (Applied Finance), LLM (Tax), GAICD

  • Chair - Board Risk Committee - March 2021
  • Member - Board Audit Committee - March 2021
  • Independent Non-Executive Director – February 2020
  • Member - HR, Remuneration & Nominations Committee - 2016
  • Member - Board Risk Committee - 2015

 

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D Glenn Sedgwick
BCom, FAICD, FCA

  • Independent Non-Executive Director –  August 2016
  • Member of the Board Risk Committee - August 2016 to December 2017
  • Member of the Board Audit Committee - August 2016
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The HON. Kelly O'Dwyer
LLB (Hons) / BA

  • Non-Executive Director – March 2021
  • Member - Board Risk Committee - March 2021
  • Member of the Remuneration, Human Resources & Nominations Committee - October 2022
  • Chair of Equity Trustees Limited Compliance Committee - October 2022 
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Robert Dalton
BA, CA, GAICD

  • Non-Executive Director – September 2023
  • Chair of the Board Audit Committee – October 2024 (Member since September 2023)
  • Member of the Board Risk Committee – October 2024
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Tim Hammon
BCOM, BLAW

  • Independent Non-Executive Director - December 2018
  • Chair of the Remuneration, Human Resources & Nominations Committee
          - September 2019
  • Member of the Board Risk Committee - October 2022

Our Leadership Team

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Michael (Mick) J. O'Brien
FIAA, CFA, GAICD

Appointed Director in July 2014; appointed Executive Director in April 2016; appointed Managing Director in July 2016.

Mr O’Brien was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia in 1989 and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He was formerly CEO and Director of Invesco Australia Limited, Director of Alliance Capital Management Australia and Chief Investment Officer of AXA Australia and New Zealand, where he was also a Director of AXA’s Responsible Entities and RSE Licensees.

With a career spanning 37 years in both retail and institutional markets, Mr O’Brien brings to the Board wealth management experience in superannuation, investment management, insurance and advice. He is a Director on a number of the Group’s subsidiaries.

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Johanna Platt
CPA, MBA, B.Eng (Chem)

Johanna is an experienced executive with over 20 years’ experience in senior Finance roles across a range of industries including Financial Services, Logistics and FMCG. Her experience spans commercial analysis, technology, transformation, operations and accounting.

Johanna is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Certified Practicing Accountant, and holds a Master of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School and a Bachelor of Engineering (Chem) from the University of Sydney. Johanna is a Board Member of Mazda Foundation and Experimenta.

Joined July 2024

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Ian Westley
BAgrSc, DipFinServ

Ian Westley has more than 25 years' business development and sales experience in Australia and the United Kingdom across a range of different industries. Ian is responsible for managing the Trustee and Wealth Services' private clients business.

Ian holds a Bachelor of Agriculture Science degree from The University of Melbourne and a Diploma of Financial Services.

Joined 2007

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Nevein Versace
BA, LLB (Honours) LLM, GAICD

Nevein is a senior executive with a career spanning over 25 years in professional services (Legal and Advisory), regulatory, corporate and not-for-profit sectors. Nevein has held senior leadership and executive roles at Australian Super, HESTA, Northern Trust, NAB (across Risk, Capital Investments Governance and M&A), KPMG and ASIC. Nevein has held the position of Non-Executive Director of inTouch and Chair of that Board’s Risk and Audit Committee between 2014-2020.

With deep experience in Risk Management transformation providing specialist risk and compliance advice across all areas at Equity Trustees as Chief Risk Officer, Nevein is passionate about developing people, with a particular focus on helping younger women to set strategic career goals and reach their full potential.

Joined September 2024
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Samantha Einhart
LLB, GDLP, FGIA

Samantha is an experienced governance professional who has worked at several Australian listed companies.

Prior to joining Equity Trustees Limited, Samantha held positions at Maurice Blackburn and REA Group Limited.

Samantha holds a Bachelor of Laws, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance and is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.

Joined January 2022

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Andrew Godfrey
B.Ed

Andrew has 30+ years of experience in financial services, including leadership roles across superannuation, wealth, financial advice and insurance. His experience has spanned operations, technology, master trusts and administration, client delivery, transformation and change and risk. He has spent significant periods of his career with Mercer where he was COO prior to joining Equity Trustees.

Andrew leads the Corporate and Superannuation Trustee Services business.

Joined February 2023

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Phing Lee
B.Eng (Honours)

Phing has over 20 years of experience working with and leading technology functions for organisations in the financial services industry. He is passionate about technology's role in supporting and enabling greater business and strategic outcomes.

Phing leads a team of technology and project professionals that thrive on delivering a stable, secure technology environment, strategic projects, and ongoing continuous improvements.

Joined October 2012

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Darren Thompson
B. Ecco, DipFinServ, GradDipFinPlan

Darren is an entrepreneurial Investment Director and Portfolio Manager with 30 years’ experience. Committed to the development of robust investment methodologies, driving targeted investment return and business growth, Darren is a performance-focussed Australian equities leader who has delivered more than 11% p.a. portfolio return over the past 14 years. He arrives at Equity Trustees with broad general management skills and a proven success leading strategy, finance, operations and people management activities.

Joined October 2018

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Georgie Taylor B.Sc. (Applied), MAHRI

Georgie is a proven HR leader who has held roles in diverse industries such as pharmaceuticals, Government and Financial Services..

She joined Equity Trustees in September 2022 from Moula Money where she was Chief People Officer – and prior to that had 10 years at Cbus Super Fund, as it undertook significant growth and transformation. Georgie thrives on building high performing teams in complex businesses and has experience pioneering contemporary people strategies and practices.

A member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and EQT Remuneration Human Resources & Nominations Committee.

Georgie is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion and sponsoring environments where people and teams can thrive.

Joined September 2022

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Alicia Kokocinski
BA (English), GradDip PR

Originally a journalist, Alicia is a senior manager with a proven track record in media, marketing, communications and market research - especially in complex and highly regulated environments. She has experience in the development and implementation of both traditional and social media campaigns, key message development and targeting (including qualitative and competitor research), as well as the development of practical and direct marketing and communications audits and plans.

Alicia heads up a team of professionals, providing contemporary and credible marketing and communication direction and general leadership to position and develop the brand, and manage the reputation and profile of Equity Trustees.

Joined August 2015

Our purpose

Equity Trustees is a company founded on trust. Our purpose is to help people take care of their future

We aim to:

Our purpose

Our services

Equity Trustees provides a diverse range of trustee and related services across a number of sectors.

By offering a diverse range of financial and fiduciary services, we help our private and corporate clients grow, manage and protect their wealth now and for generations to come. Our mandate is to always act in our clients’ best interests, ensuring they feel safe, valued and cared for.  

 

OUR BUSINESS STRATEGY

 Objectives Strategy

OUR INVESTMENT STRATEGY

Equity Trustees’ in-house asset management team manages tailored investment portfolios for corporate, charitable and private clients. Our overarching approach is based on long-term considerations rather than short-term fluctuations.

We aim to deliver performance that meets our clients’ expectations and risk/reward profile. To do this, we combine in-house capabilities with the best domestic and international external managers and build portfolios that are diversified both across and within asset classes.

Equity Trustees Asset Management is a signatory to the UNPRI (the United Nations supported Principals for Responsible Investment). The PRI is an independent organisation that supports investors to use responsible investment practices in investment and ownership decisions. As a signatory to the PRI, we are committed to a set of six principals that provide a global standard for responsible investing, and to working with local and global industry bodies to remain at the forefront of developments in responsible investing. Read our Responsible Investment Policy. 

Our History

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Equity Trustees is born

1888

In 1888, Equity Trustees was established by a specific Act of Victorian Parliament.

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Rapid growth

1931

By 1931, our revenue had grown 1000-fold and Joel Fox now employed a staff of 90. The company moved to new chambers at 472 Bourke Street; the site of Melbourne’s old Synagogue.

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Sir Robert G. Menzies appointed

1936

During the company’s long history, Prime Ministers, High Court judges and Governor-Generals have sat on our Board. Sir Robert G. Menzies was among them, sitting on the Board until he became Prime Minister in 1939.

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The aftermath of War

1950s

During WWII and into the 1950s, Equity Trustees began dealing with many widows and their children. This marked a change of focus for the company and we began promoting our services to support families during their toughest times. 

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Funds management

2000

Equity Trustees took on Responsible Entity, distribution and relationship management for leading Australian and international investment managers.

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Equity Trustees acquires ANZ Trustees

2014

Acquired ANZ Trustees, which positioned Equity Trustees in the ASX 300.

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New company structure

2015

At the end of 2015, Equity Trustees Limited became a subsidiary of EQT Holdings Limited. EQT Holdings Limited is a publicly listed company on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: EQT)

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Equity Trustees acquired the estates and trusts business from Sandhurst Trustees Limited

2017

In 2017 we acquired the estates and trusts business from Sandhurst Trustees Limited who are owned by Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. 

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Equity Trustees acquired the Responsible Entity (RE) business of OneVue Holdings Limited.

2018

Acquired the Responsible Entity (RE) business of OneVue Holdings Limited, which covers 28 managed investment schemes and approximately $2.7 billion of funds under supervision.

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Equity Trustees acquired Zurich Australian Superannuation Pty Ltd which is trustee for $1 billion in funds accumulation and pension products.

2019

Acquired Zurich Australian Superannuation Pty Ltd, which is trustee for $1 billion in funds accumulation and pension products and 18,000 members, cementing our position as the leading provider of specialist independent superannuation trustee services in Australia.

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Acquired Australian Executor Trustees Limited (AET)

2022

Acquired Australian Executor Trustees Limited (AET) cementing Equity Trustees place as a leader in the broadest range of trustee services in Australia.

Important Information

Important Documents

pdf Power of Attorney Register Effective Dates EQT AU, EQT SS, EQT SFS pdf Power of Attorney Register Effective Dates EQT Responsible Entity Services Ltd pdf Power of Attorney Register Effective Dates EQTL ETWSL ETSL pdf Board Charter for EQT Holdings Limited
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