Grant Thornton Australia joins Grant Thornton Advisors multinational platform. Read more.
Australia’s superannuation sector is one of the largest holders of pension fund assets globally, with approximately $3.5t invested in superannuation assets. Exposure to fluctuations in domestic and international markets has impacted investments in recent years, which has fuelled industry consolidation.
As a sector that many look to for their future financial security, being agile and responsive to constant regulatory, policy, and legislative reform, with successive governments altering taxation and contributions policies, is critical for those who work in superannuation.
In September, we launched a survey to gather important insights from the people of Australia’s superannuation industry about their personal observations and lived experiences within the sector.
Below is a summary of our findings.
1. Positive perception of change
Respondents of all genders (female, non-binary, self-identifying & male) acknowledge the importance of increasing female representation, indicating a shared belief in the significance of this issue.
Over 50 per cent of respondents expressed a favourable outlook, suggesting that change is well underway in the industry.
2. Difference in workforce experience
The data analysis reveals that there are notable differences in experiences between males and females working within the superannuation industry.
A significant portion of respondents believed that barriers need to be addressed to continue increasing gender diversity in the industry.
Notably, the results suggest that professional development opportunities, mentoring and more leader advocacy are rich areas of focus to build on to ensure continued momentum and change.
3. Women were more engaged
More women engaged in the survey than men. Notably more women than men gave anecdotal feedback in long-form answers, which reinforced the notion that there are varied gender-related experiences within these professional contexts that affect women in a way not all men are aware of.
Women also actively participated by providing a greater number of opinions and suggestions.
Overall data analysis revealed that differences in experiences between genders within the superannuation industry is evident.
We plan to continue to address this point in activities and in considering the unique challenges and opportunities that women face in the workforce.
We plan to use the insights from our survey to better serve all professionals within the superannuation industry. These insights will help shape the strategy, content, future events and workshops we run to support current and future industry leaders.
ATO guidance increases evidence requirements for treaty claims through FTE structures.
The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), in collaboration with JANA, has released its final Investment Manager Operational Due Diligence (ODD) Guidance Note, providing a practical framework to strengthen how superannuation funds assess and oversee operational risk
As debate intensifies ahead of the Federal Budget, this insight examines why incremental tax changes are no longer sufficient for Australia. It argues for meaningful, productivity‑focused tax reform that addresses growing reliance on personal income tax, system complexity and long‑term budget sustainability, while carefully considering broader reforms such as the GST to ensure fairness and economic resilience.
