AustralianSuper snaps up Cbus retirement head

Cbus Super has confirmed that its head of retirement has left the fund to join AustralianSuper.

Jon Sedawie has been appointed principal retirement product at the country's largest superannuation fund.

Sedawie spent nine years at Cbus, most recently as head of retirement.

As recently as April, Sedawie took on this new role reflecting the fund's heightened focus on the decumulation phase of superannuation.

As head of retirement, he was accountable for Cbus Super's integrated strategy and programs to improve members' retirement outcomes, including product development, member experience, education, and advice.

He was also responsible for retirement modelling, simulators, and tools.

However, he spent most of his career at the fund for building and construction workers setting and implementing product strategies.

Before arriving at Cbus in 2015, Sedawie worked as a product manager at ESSSuper, State Trustees, Aviva, and National Australia Bank.

His move to AustralianSuper comes just one week after the $220 billion fund recruited Shawn Blackmore as its first retirement chief.

"Retirement isn't simply a product solution," said Blackmore said. "It's about combining product, service and advice into an offering accessible to all members regardless of their account balance.

"Every member's retirement journey is different, and our role is to ensure that they have the confidence they need to spend the superannuation savings they have worked so hard for throughout their working lives to achieve the kind of retirement they want."