Jane Eccleston, Senior Executive Leader, Superannuation, ASIC

Jane leads ASIC’s Superannuation team and oversees ASIC’s regulatory work associated with superannuation trustees in the $2.8 trillion sector. Her 16 years of regulatory experience includes senior roles overseeing funds management, mergers and acquisitions, fundraising, corporate governance and supervising the ASX and other licensed financial markets.

Before joining ASIC, Jane was Senior Associate with Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons), working within the Corporate/ Mergers & Acquisitions team. She has also worked as in-house counsel for the Westpac Banking Corporation. Jane holds honours degrees in Law and Psychology from the University of Sydney.

Markus Erikson, Director Intelligence, AUSTRAC

Markus Erikson is a Director in the Intelligence division of Australia’s Financial Intelligence Unit, AUSTRAC. Markus has worked alongside law enforcement to target the financial activity of crimes including sexual servitude, money laundering, corruption and foreign bribery matters. Markus has worked with Australian and international law enforcement agencies to identify criminal behaviour through money flows, embedding financial intelligence into investigations. Markus is currently overseeing Australian’s public private partnership, the Fintel Alliance, bringing together 29 government, law enforcement and financial industry partners to tackle complex financial crime.

Larissa Evans, Assistant Commissioner, Superannuation and Employer Obligations, ATO

Larissa has responsibility for the ATO’s engagement and assurance of the APRA regulated fund sector. This includes oversight of fund member reporting, the integrity of the data and payment standards, use of ATO super services and the design and implementation of new policy or administrative measures.

Larissa has held various other roles within Superannuation and Employer Obligations as well as the Tax Counsel Network and previously with the Tax Practitioners Board. Larissa also has experience working with the super industry though a secondment with ASFA.

Mel Birks, Head of 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 a 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.