First State Super appoints Tom Symondson to board

First State Super has confirmed the appointment of new employer representative director, Tom Symondson, effective 1 July 2018.

Symondson, who has almost 15 years' experience in public policy development and advocacy, has been CEO of the Victorian Healthcare Association (VHA) since 2015. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he held senior roles at the VHA as well as the Property Council of Australia.

He sits on the Victorian health sector taskforce for family violence, is a board member of the Deeble Institute for Health Policy and Research and is chair of the International Federation of Community Health Centres. He is also CEO of the Australian Centre for Healthcare Governance, an arm of the VHA which supports the health and community sector to improve their clinical and corporate governance.

Symondson is joined at First State Super by fellow new board-appointees, Pip Carew and Glenn Bunney. They replace, respectively, retiring directors, Gary Thomas, Lisa Fitzpatrick and Trevor Carr.

First State Super chair, Neil Cochrane, said of the changes: "Ongoing board renewal provides an opportunity for us to capture new perspectives and insights to help us maintain our focus on the things that matter to our members and employers. I am confident we have the right mix of skill and experience around our board table to further our efforts in meeting our members' needs and contributing to a better future for all Australians."