Key Takeaways
- Geography: Australia.
Analysis
Aware Super has promoted Simon Warner to the role of Chief Investment Officer, effective 1 December 2025, the trustee announced after an international recruitment effort. The internal appointment is designed to preserve strategic continuity across the fund’s multi-asset approach.
Mr Warner, who joined Aware Super in 2023 as Head of Portfolio Management, will take charge of a 160-person investment organisation that oversees roughly $205 billion in member savings. The fund’s remit spans listed equities, fixed income, infrastructure, property and private equity, and the new CIO will be tasked with stewarding allocations across those asset classes as markets evolve.
Deanne Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, said the board selected an internal candidate to ensure a smooth handover following the previously announced departure of Damian Graham. "Simon has led parts of the portfolio through volatile markets and understands the governance and risk frameworks that underpin our in-house investment model," she said, noting the appointment supports a steady path for members’ long-term returns.
Warner brings more than two decades of global markets experience. Before joining Aware Super he held senior roles at AMP Capital — including global head of public markets — and served as global CIO/co-head of global equities and fixed income. His earlier career includes leadership positions at JPMorgan Chase across London, Singapore and Sydney, including CIO responsibilities for Australia & New Zealand.
The promotion comes as large Australian super funds continue to expand direct and private-market allocations. The sector — which collectively manages several trillion Australian dollars of retirement savings — has been increasing in-house capability to capture illiquidity premia and reduce external fees. Aware Super’s decision to elevate an internal leader is consistent with that trend: funds are balancing the benefits of experienced, home-grown investment teams with the recruitment pressures for senior talent globally.
Educationally, Simon Warner holds a TRIUM global executive MBA (NYU Stern, LSE and HEC Paris) and both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in economics from the London School of Economics. He also serves on industry-related boards, including a directorship with Women in Banking and Finance, underscoring the fund’s emphasis on leadership and governance as it implements its medium-term investment plans.