Melanie Dunn FIAA CERA SSA, Senior Manager, Retirement Solutions, Challenger

Melanie is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and is passionate about the development of retirement solutions and tools to assist in providing retirees with financial security. With nearly 15 years experience in the sector, she has extensive knowledge and experience with SMSFs, superannuation, and Australia’s retirement system. As Senior Manager, Retirement Solutions at Challenger she manages retirement models that allow for decision making in light of uncertainty and risk, assisting with product and solution research and design, and the development of tools for financial advisers and retirees. Melanie is a member of the Actuaries Institute Retirement Income Working Group and Wealth Distribution Working Group, and the SMSF Association Regulatory Committees.

Dr. David Knox, Senior Partner, Mercer

David is a Senior Partner at Mercer and Senior Actuary for Australia.  He is the National Leader for Research; actuary to the Tasmanian and Western Australian public sector superannuation plans; and lead author of the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index, now in its 13^th year.

Before joining Mercer, David was at PricewaterhouseCoopers and prior to that was the Foundation Professor of Actuarial Studies at The University of Melbourne. He has acted as a consultant to a range of financial organisations, in both the private and public sectors, specialising in superannuation and retirement incomes. He has spoken and written widely in this area and has served on many Government and industry committees. 

David was an independent Board member of Australian Prudential Regulation Authority for five years and President of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia in 2000.

Dr. Geoff Warren, Associate Professor, Australian National University

Dr Geoff Warren is an Associate Professor at the Australian National University, where he is Fund Convenor of the ANU Student Managed Fund. He is a member of various investment and research advisory boards, including for Atlas Infrastructure, ASIC, Brandes Institute, Conexus Institute, Salvation Army and Super Consumers Australia. Geoff is an active researcher who focuses on investment-related areas with an applied emphasis, including: superannuation, retirement, fund management, portfolio construction, long-term investing, and evaluation and taxation of investments. Prior to pursuing an academic career, he spent over 20 years in investment markets, including as the Director of Capital Markets Research at Russell Investments; as an analyst, Chief Strategist and Head of Research with investment bank Ord Minnett / JP Morgan Australia; and as an equity portfolio manager at AMP Capital. Geoff has a PhD from the AGSM, and a BComm (Hons) with the University Medal from UNSW.

Mel Birks, General Manager, Advocacy, AIST

Mel started her career in superannuation in the ATO, moving to work with industry super funds in 2004.  Her roles have included senior roles in stakeholder relations, strategy, marketing and communications in Link Group/ Superpartners, HESTA, Hostplus, AUSfund, Industry Fund Services and ME Bank.  Her most recent role at ASIC was as a Senior Specialist in the Superannuation team where she provided technical analysis and strategic advice on consumer issues in relation to superannuation.

Mel is passionate about delivering benefits to members, with a particular focus on improving women’s retirement outcomes.

Mel is also the current deputy chair of the Victorian Committee of Women in Super and has been a member of the Mother’s Day Classic organising committee in Melbourne for a number of years.

She has Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne, a Graduate Diploma in Educational Psychology from Monash University and a MBA from Deakin University and has successfully completed the Advanced Leadership Program run by Women & Leadership Australia.