Search results

SORT BY
Filters
News & Media
Publications
Skip to main content

The Leadership Team is responsible for leading and managing the Guardians as an organisation. 

  • paula steed web 022024

    Paula Steed

    BCA, CA Chief Executive Officer (Acting)

    Paula joined the Guardians in July 2021, from ASB Bank where she was the Chief Internal Auditor. Paula has 25 years experience in financial services and banking, starting her career as an auditor with professional services firm Deloitte and holding various executive finance and general management roles with AMP, ANZ and ASB. Paula is a Chartered Accountant, and has a BCA majoring in Accounting and Commercial Law from Victoria University.

  • Stephen Gilmore

    Stephen Gilmore

    MCom, GAICD Chief Investment Officer

    Stephen joined the Guardians in 2019. As Chief Investment Officer, he is responsible for overseeing the Asset Allocation, Strategic Tilting, Sustainable Investment, Investment Data & Analytics, External Investments & Partnerships, and Direct Investment teams.

    Prior to this, Stephen was the Chief Investment Strategist at the Future Fund, Australia's sovereign wealth fund.  In this role he was responsible for Investment Strategy, Investment Risk, Derivative Overlays and Investment (technology) Solutions.  Earlier in his career Stephen held senior strategy roles in London and Hong Kong with AIG Financial Products and Morgan Stanley.  He has also worked with the International Monetary Fund in Washington.

  • Mika Austin

    Mika Austin

    LLB/BA General Manager, Human Resources

    Prior to joining the Fund as Head of Human Resources in 2012, Ms Austin was a Senior Associate with Russell McVeagh, specialising in commercial litigation. She has also worked for the Financial Services Authority in London. Ms Austin has a LLB/BA from the University of Auckland.

  • Photo of Cristina Billett

    Cristina Billett

    General Manager, Corporate Affairs

    Cristina is the Chair of the Risk Committee, she joined the Guardians in 2009 following roles in both law firms and as in house counsel in the financial services industry. Prior to going inhouse, Cristina spent several years as a senior legal associate at Herbert Smith Freehills in Australia and worked at law firm Bell Gully. Cristina has substantial experience in financial services with expertise across various facets of law including mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial law, health and safety, public law and governance.

  • David Sara

    David Sara

    BMS(Hons), MBS(Dist) General Manager, Technology

    David Sara joined the Guardians in 2009. He has substantial experience in financial services, including as Head of Strategy with UK-based Platform Home Loans, Head of Venture Development for Lloyds Banking Group and Manager of Strategic Planning for the National Bank of New Zealand.

  • Photo of George Crosby

    George Crosby

    LLB/BCom General Manager, Portfolio Completion

    George joined the Guardians in 2008, where he was instrumental in the establishment of the Portfolio Investments team, a major source of active returns for the Fund. Prior to joining the Guardians he traded various derivatives books at Westpac, BNP Paribas and Toronto Dominion Bank in Wellington and London. As General Manager Portfolio Completion George will oversee the implementation of the NZ Super Fund’s Reference Portfolio, currency overlay, rebalancing and liquidity management along with a number of internal investment mandates with a credit and arbitrage focus.

  • Mark Fennell

    Mark Fennell

    MSocSc (Hons), Chartered Accountant (CAANZ), Member of the Institute of Finance Professionals New Zealand (INFINZ), Member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand (MInstD) General Manager Risk

    Mark joined the Guardians in 2007 as General Manager, Operations. In 2012 he was appointed General Manager, Portfolio Completion and in 2021 he was appointed to the newly created role of General Manager, Risk.

    Prior to this, he worked for The Warehouse Group where he held roles as Company Secretary, Treasurer and Chief Risk Manager. Mark also has considerable public sector experience in State Owned Enterprises, working as Treasurer for the Forestry Corporation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NZ Railways Corporation respectively.

  • john payne web24

    John Payne

    Acting General Manager, Strategy and Shared Services

    John is Acting General Manager, Strategy and Shared Services, Director of the Palgrove Group of Companies (Guardians wholly owned Australian Beef Business), and Chair of the Health Safety Security and Environmental Committee. In addition, he is Chair of the New Zealand Corporate Taxpayers Group (CTG) which comprises 49 major corporate organisations. The CTG works with Inland Revenue and Treasury to achieve positive changes to tax policy and operational procedures. He is a business representative of the Inland Revenue Technical Information Co-ordination and Liaison Group. 

    Previously John was Head of Tax at the Guardians and before that he was Head of Tax and Treasurer at Carter Holt Harvey, Head of Tax at Vodafone New Zealand, Brierley Investments and Progressive Enterprises. He has also provided tax consultancy services to Fonterra and ASB and spent his early career with EY in Auckland.

    John is a member of the Institute of Directors, has been awarded a Fellowship (FCA) by Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand. He is a committee member for the Tax Policy Charitable Trust and the New Zealand Branch of the International Fiscal Association and has a BCom from Auckland University.