GNGB Appoints New Executive Officer

The Chair of the Gateway Network Governance Body (the GNGB), Jan McClelland AM, is pleased to announce that the Board has appointed Michelle Bower as the new Executive Officer (EO) of the GNGB.  The appointment follows an extensive search and recruitment process, following the resignation of Sarah O’Brien recently.

Michelle brings over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, predominantly in operations and strategic advisory roles within the investment management and superannuation sectors.  She has most recently been Director, Investment and Wealth Advisory, Deloitte Asia Pacific, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Accounting and Finance, from Macquarie University.

Michelle was involved in the establishment of the GNGB through her work with the Australian Taxation Office. She facilitated working groups drafting the Gateway Standards, the Memorandum of Understanding and the Constitution as well as interoperability testing between Gateway Operators. Michelle has also assisted the GNGB in the development and testing of its business continuity planning (BCP) framework. Her involvement in the establishment and development of the GNGB has given Michelle a keen interest in the GNGB and a desire to be part of its next phase.

Jan would also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge and thank Sarah O’Brien, the inaugural Executive Officer of the GNGB, for her leadership in the establishment and development of the GNGB. Through Sarah’s work, the GNGB has a strong and effective governance framework, focused on ensuring the security and integrity of the Superannuation Transaction Network (STN). This provides a firm foundation for the future direction of the GNGB, demonstrating the importance of collaboration with key stakeholders and the value of strong governance of transaction networks across the financial services sector. On behalf of the Board, I wish Sarah every success in her new role as the Head of Regulatory Affairs at Retail Employees Superannuation Trust (REST).

Sarah leaves the GNGB on Friday 13 September 2019. Michelle will commence as the Executive Officer of the GNGB on Tuesday 8 October 2019. The Board, in conjunction with the GNGB’s service providers, will ensure continuity of operations and service during this three-week period when Sarah finishes and Michelle starts.