Jo Townsend appointed CEO of New Zealand Super

Jo Townsend has been appointed chief executive of the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, the Crown entity that manages the NZ$70 billion ($42.1 billion) NZ Super Fund.

Guardians chair John Williamson said, “We are excited to have Jo join the Guardians’ team.  She is a highly-experienced CEO with a 30-year career in the Australian investment sector.  Most recently Jo led the transformation of Funds SA — an A$40 billion [$26.2 billion] institutional investor of public sector funds — where she oversaw a significant growth in that organization’s capabilities.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the Guardians,” said Townsend. “The NZ Super Fund is known and respected globally as a high-performing institutional investor. The Guardians’ purpose — sustainable investment delivering strong returns for all New Zealanders — sums up the importance of the Fund to the country.”

Townsend will take up her new role in April 2024. Paula Ste