MUTUAL VALUE

Our policies encourage the creation of value for our members. We collaborate with the wider mutual sector via the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) in a practical live research project led by Monash Business School.

Through this association and the adoption of this framework we aim to share that value with our member-owners and the wider community.
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REGULATION

Futurity is subject to both Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) regulation and oversight.
Futurity’s Education Bonds are established and must be maintained under a secure framework with legal protections governed by the Life Insurance Act 1995.

Our existing operations in New Zealand are regulated by the Financial Market Authority and the New Zealand Companies Office.
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GOVERNANCE

In addition to executing other responsibilities, the Board establishes our long-term goals and strategic plans, monitors Futurity’s financial performance against budget and monitors the effectiveness of our compliance and risk management activities.



Futurity's Corporate Governance Rules.

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Board Advisers and Executive

Sam Sondhi

CEO

Sam Sondhi

Sam Sondhi is a highly experienced and credentialed CEO, having worked across investment banking, private investment and the not-for-profit sectors in Australia. His most recent role was as CEO and Board member of Outlook Australia, a leading national not-for-profit organisation operating large, complex industrial and service delivery businesses.



Prior to joining Outlook Australia, Sam enjoyed an extensive career as an investment banker with Citigroup and Credit Suisse, focused on mergers & acquisitions and equity capital markets, before embarking on the establishment of a private investment vehicle.



Sam also serves as Chair of the Victorian Government’s Metropolitan Partnership for the Eastern Region, is a Member of the Victorian Government’s Metropolitan Development Advisory Panel and is the Deputy Chair of Jobsbank Limited.



Sam has exceptional leadership qualities and is an experienced and proven CEO with a track record of delivering value in purpose driven organisations.



Sam has a Bachelor of Commerce (First Class Honours) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of NSW.

Qualifications

B Com (Hons), LLB

Craig Dunstan

Chair

Craig Dunstan
Craig has a career spanning over 35 years in the financial services industry in Australia, Asia and the United States. He is currently Managing Director of Vasco Trustees Limited, Chair of D H Flinders Corporate Advisory, Non-Executive Director of Federated Investors Australia Services Limited, and Latrobe Health Services Limited and Chair of its Investment Committee. Craig was recently appointed Non-Executive Independent Director of industry super fund, REI Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd and Chair of its Investment Committee. Previous roles include Managing Director of ASX-listed MacarthurCook Limited, General Manager Financial Services and Chief Investment Officer at Australian Unity Limited, and Deputy Chair of Seaforth TAFE college in NSW.


Appointment date

Craig joined us as a participating consultant in 2010, was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in 2011 and appointed as the Chair of the Board in October 2015.



Current Roles

Chair of Futurity’s People & Culture Committee

Chair of Futurity Education Foundation

Trustee of National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)

Qualifications

B Com, LLB, MBA, F Finsia, MAICD

Dr Jacqueline Jennings

Deputy Chair

Dr Jacqueline Jennings

Jacqui has extensive executive senior experience in sales, marketing, business development and strategy, and financial management.



Jacqui is the Chair of the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority, a non-executive Director of Darwin Waterfront Corporation, a non-executive Director of Campaspe Port Enterprise and a non-executive Director of Latrobe Health Services.



Appointment date

Jacqueline joined us as a Participating Consultant in 2011 and was appointed Non-Executive Director in 2012. She was appointed as the Deputy Chair of the Board in 2023.



Current Roles

Chair of Futurity’s Investment Committee

Member of People and Culture Committee

Trustee of National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)

Qualifications

B Met, M Mgt, PhD Mgt, GAICD

Tony Brain

Non-Executive Director

Tony Brain
Tony is a Chartered Accountant, with over 30 years’ experience in Australia and the United Kingdom with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu where he spent 12 years as a Partner and subsequent to leaving Deloitte nearly three years as Head of Risk Management at AustralianSuper.

Tony is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has significant board experience as a Director of various Boards and committees across a range of sectors, including financial services and tertiary education.

Tony’s other Board-related roles include the AMP Superannuation Trustee Boards since October 2018 and as an Independent Member on various Board Committees for Merricks Capital, Magistrates Court Victoria and the Alannah & Madeline Foundation.

Previous Board roles include Victoria University Council and each of its Finance and Risk & Audit Committees until October 2023 and former member of the Board of Monash Health and each of Monash’s Finance and Audit & Risk Committees up to June 2022.

Appointment date
Tony started with Futurity as a Participating Consultant in 2014 and was appointed Non-Executive Director in 2016.



Current Roles

Chair of Futurity’s Audit Committee

Member of Risk and Compliance Committee

Trustee of National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)

Qualifications

B Com, CA, GAICD, FAIST

Neelesh Mehta

Non-Executive Director

Neelesh Mehta

Neelesh has over 25 years’ experience across the financial services and retail industries in Australia and overseas. He has extensive experience working international markets and a passion for the benefits of education.


Neelesh is a Fellow of the Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia. He is on the Board of RSPCA Victoria, RSPCA Australia and on both organisations Audit, Risk, and Finance Committees. He is also the CFO and Board Member of Texas Peak Group.

He has served as Chair of The Gawler Cancer Foundation, Emerge Australia, and as an Invitee to the Governance Committee of Samarinda Ashburton Aged Services on whose Board he previously served. He also worked as founder Chair of We Ride (Australian Cycling Promotion Fund).



Appointment date

Neelesh is a Non-Executive Director who was appointed to the Board in 2017.



Current Roles

Member of Risk and Compliance Committee

Member of Investment Committee

Trustee of National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)

Qualifications

B Com, FCA, FAICD

Leon Nash

Non-Executive Director

Leon is currently the Chief Financial Officer of A.F. Gason Pty Ltd a regional Australian metal fabrication business servicing the Agriculture and Wood Heating industries where he also fulfils the role of Company Secretary. He has extensive experience in general management, accounting, economics, human resources and corporate finance. He has previously acted as the Financial Controller (Australia and New Zealand) of a multinational FMCG company, and his executive experience has covered many sectors including manufacturing, construction, FMCG and land development at a local and multinational level. Leon previously served as Director and Company Secretary for Australian Timken Pty Ltd and Australian Timken Superannuation Pty Ltd.


Leon has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting & IT) from Federation University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Deakin University.



He is also a Fellow of CPA Australia having completed the CPA Program and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) having completed the Company Directors Course.





Appointment date

Leon was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in October 2006.



Current Roles

Member of the Futurity Education Foundation Board

Member of People & Culture Committee

Trustee of National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)

Qualifications

B Bus, MBA, FCPA, FAICD

Phillip Vernon

Non-Executive Director

Phillip Vernon
Phil has 30 years' experience in investments, superannuation and sustainable finance. Past roles include Group Executive, Perpetual Limited and Managing Director and Chief Executive of Australian Ethical Investment, Australia's leading ethical superannuation and ethical investment company.

Phil is a Non-Executive Director of the Environmental Defender’s Office Ltd for which he chairs the Finance, Audit and Risk Committees, the Stroke Foundation and B Lab Australia New Zealand. He is also an Advisory Board Member of Baza Capital and Co-Chair of the First Nations Working Group for the Responsible Investment Association Australasia.

Phil has a Bachelor of Economics, a Master of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and of the Australian Superannuation Funds Association.



Appointment date

Phil joined Futurity as a participating consultant in March 2020 and was appointed Non-Executive Director in October 2021.



Current Roles

Member of Risk and Compliance Committee

Trustee of National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)

Qualifications

B Ec, M Comm, MBA, FAIDC, FCA, FASFA

Catherine O’Sullivan

Non-Executive Director

Catherine O'Sullivan

Catherine is the Executive Director of the Anglican Schools Commission in Queensland where, in partnership with the school Principals she is responsible for the education of some 22,000 students.


Catherine trained as a High School teacher and taught in public schools for 17 years. For the past two decades the former Goondiwindi State High School principal has held senior governance and leadership roles with education and government, including at RMIT University and Bond University.

After a Churchill Fellowship to travel the globe learning and observing from some impressive schools, she wanted to continue her learning. She was selected to undertake a Masters in Public Administration through the Australia New Zealand School of Government.



Appointment date

Catherine joined Futurity as a Participating Consultant in October 2021 and was appointed Non-Executive Director in 2024.



Current Roles

Member of the Futurity Education Foundation Board

Chair of Futurity’s Education Advisory Panel

Member of Audit Committee

Chair of National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)

Qualifications

EMPA (ANZSOG), DipEd, BA (UNE)

Claire Higgins

Non-Executive Director

Claire Higgins is a professional director with almost 25 years’ experience. She is the current chair of REI Superannuation Pty Ltd, and GMHBA Limited and a Director of Margin Clear Pty Ltd.

Claire has extensive board experience across a range of industries, including health care, investment, and emergency services. Claire is a former chair of Barwon Health, Vital Healthcare Property Trust, the Victorian Country Fire Authority, and the Victorian State Emergency Service.

Claire has also had extensive executive experience. Claire’s particular areas of expertise are in board leadership, governance, risk management, accounting, financial reporting, stakeholder communication, and management.



Appointment Date
Claire joined Futurity as a Non-Executive Director in October 2024

Current Roles
Chair of Risk and Compliance Committee

Member of Audit Committee

Trustee of National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)



Qualifications

B Com (Acc, Eco, Comm Law) FAICD, CPA

Simon Sheikh

Board Adviser

Simon Sheikh
Simon Sheikh is the CEO and co-founder of Future Group, a rapidly growing ethical superannuation group in Australia with $17 billion in assets and funds under management across pension and managed investments. Future Group ranks among Australia’s top 15 superannuation groups by the number of members served, catering to over 415,000 members. It is also one of the 25 largest superannuation groups by funds and assets under management.

Prior to founding Future Group, Simon was the National Director of GetUp, a leading progressive advocacy organisation in Australia that now has 1.1 million members. He served on the inaugural board of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, which has grown to 120,000 members.

Simon has also worked as an Analyst at the NSW Treasury and consulted for various organisations, including Bendigo Bank, Minderoo, and the Queensland public sector union.

Appointment Date
Simon joined Futurity as a Board Adviser in October 2024

Current Roles

Member of Futurity Education Foundation Board

Trustee of National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)

Qualifications

B Com (Eco, Acc, Business Law)

Nicholas Vamvakas

Board Adviser

Nicholas Vamvakas
Nicholas has spent over 40 years in financial markets in investments, banking, and superannuation. He is currently the Chair of SuperFriend, an industry fund mental health initiative, Director and Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee at CAF (Cleaning Accountability Framework), and former Director and Chair of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee at Football Victoria.

As Group Executive Strategy and Growth for Cbus, Nicholas was responsible for developing the corporate plan for the fund with a particular emphasis on medium- and long-term organic and inorganic growth. During his tenure, the fund successfully negotiated its first merger in the MySuper era with Media Super and EISS Super and was successful in winning several high profile corporate superannuation mandates.

As Chief Executive Officer of Equipsuper, Nicholas led the fund through one of its most exciting growth periods. Its merger with the former Rio Tinto staff fund evolved Equip into a $15 billion fund with over 75,000 members Australia-wide. Prior to departing Equip a merger with Catholic Super was negotiated which grew the fund to $25 billion and 150,000 members.

Prior to joining Equip as Chief Risk Officer, he was part of the original ME Bank leadership team that established the Bank and grew the business from $1 billion to over $20 billion in assets. His earlier career included senior roles with National Mutual / AXA and Challenge Bank.

Appointment Date
Nicholas joined Futurity as a Board Adviser in October 2024.

Current Roles
Member of the Investment Committee

Observer on the Audit Committee

Trustee of National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)

Qualifications

B Eco & B Mktg, Senior Fellow of Finsia , GAICD, AIST