Legalsuper names new chief executive

Luke Symonds
LUKE SYMONDS
legalsuper - Chief Executive
APPOINTMENT
LEGALSUPER
Date: 23 March 2023
Position: Chief Executive
By Elizabeth Fry

The $5 billion legalsuper has appointed Luke Symons as its new chief executive following the departure of Andrew Probstl last year.

Symons joins from the Responsible Financial Services Group,  where he was founder and chief executive for more than two years.

Earlier, he spent two and a half years at AMP and was most recently managing director of digital and new ventures.

He also held a senior leadership role at ANZ Banking Group where he worked for 16 years.

legalsuper chair Kirsten Mander noted that Symons brings a unique combination of professional experience and technical skills to the vital role of chief executive.

"Throughout our recruitment process, Luke exhibited the great clarity of insight and innovative thought he is known for. His considerable experience across member engagement, service and product innovation, digital transformation, and high-performance team leadership were all clearly demonstrated - and he brought key insights from this breadth of experience to the table during our search," she said.

"He was also enthusiastic about the strategic benefits presented by legalsuper's legal profession specialisation and the associated opportunities for innovation, agile decision-making and personalised member engagement".

According to the incoming chief executive,  the increasing focus on Australia's superannuation industry presents genuine opportunities for innovation, member engagement and growth for those funds with a clear organisational strategy, high-performing teams and an ability to execute

Symons noted that unprecedented attention from policymakers, industry commentators and the media on superannuation is challenging, it allows the fund to showcase its market and service differentiation.

"Importantly, I look forward to working with legal super's executive team and board to continue legalsuper's strong long-term investment performance, which has seen the fund's MySuper returns which have outperformed the fund median over 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years".