Australia’s first chair of finance and superannuation has been appointed at the University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS’s) Business School, with Professor Susan Thorp taking up the position.
One of the financial backers of the role is the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), which said the creation of the chair is recognition of the central role superannuation plays in the financial health of most Australians.
"Retirement income policy is fundamental in developing economic and social policy," said ASFA chief executive Pauline Vamos (pictured).
"We have reached the ageing bubble; we know that there needs to be some social change so that in the future retirees can support the standard of living they need and deserve. This has implications for tax, product development and integration with the social security system," she said.
Professor Thorp is an academic and researcher in superannuation and finance, and it is hoped that her position as chair will help her to become a thought leader in the superannuation industry.
As well as ASFA, the new chair is jointly funded for an initial three years by the Industry Super Network, the Sydney Financial Forum, the NSW Premier’s Office and the Paul Woolley Centre for the Study of Capital Market Dysfunctionality.
