Ignition names Sally Loane chair

Former Financial Services Council boss Sally Lane will chair Ignition Advice, replacing Peter Meurer, the firm's inaugural chair who is stepping down after eight years in the role.

Between 2014 and 2021, she was chief executive of the peak industry organisation for financial services.

The former journalist and broadcaster is also chair of Destination NSW and a non-executive director of Chubb Insurance Australia; Pankind, the Australian Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation; and the Garvan Research Foundation.

She is a member of the advisory board of consulting firm Orizontas and a mentor with McCarthy Mentoring.

Meurer welcomed Loane to the board and acknowledged her track record with policy development and advocacy, specifically in the wealth sector and with a wide range of stakeholders.

"The Ignition team will benefit from Sally's broad experience over this significant next phase of global growth for the company," he said.

Ignition co-founder and board director Mark Fordree thanked the outgoing chair for his dedication adding that under his stewardship, Ignition has partnered with a number of leading global financial firms, piloted three capital raises and has been recognised through several global industry awards.

"As we enter the next phase of our growth, we look forward to drawing on Sally's significant board and industry experience and her aspiration to fulfil our growth ambitions in enabling large financial institutions to dramatically scale their advice propositions to close the advice gap and make advice accessible to all," Fordree said.

In response, Loane explained that she is a long-time advocate for all Australians to be financially literate and financially independent, particularly women, who retire with less superannuation than men, and who are still subject to a gender pay gap.

The incoming chair argued that simplified regulation and innovation through digital tools while maintaining important consumer safeguards, will be crucial to improving affordability and access to financial advice.

"There has never been a more important time for the government and industry to support the transformation of advice provision," she added.