AustralianSuper Appoints First Head of AI and Automation to Drive Digital Transformation

AustralianSuper, the largest superannuation fund in the country, has announced the appointment of Sarah Carney as its inaugural Head of AI and Automation. The move, effective May 20, 2026, represents a significant escalation in the fund's commitment to integrating advanced technological solutions across its operations. With $365 billion in assets under management and a membership base of 3.6 million people, the fund is seeking to leverage generative artificial intelligence to enhance investment insights and member services while improving internal efficiencies.

The appointment of Sarah Carney comes as the organisation targets a 5% company-wide productivity increase through AI implementation within the next year. Sarah Carney joins AustralianSuper following a decade-long tenure at Microsoft, where she most recently served as the national chief technology officer for Australia and New Zealand. Her mandate will include overseeing the fund's intensifying focus on generative AI solutions and ensuring that the workforce is equipped to handle the evolving technological landscape.

Strategic Workforce Evolution

The fund’s leadership has been vocal about the necessity of technological adaptation within the financial services sector. Speaking at the Bloomberg Forum in Sydney on May 19, 2026, AustralianSuper Chief Operating Officer Mike Backeberg addressed the implications of rapid AI adoption. He emphasised that the integration of these technologies is no longer optional for professionals within the industry, suggesting that the ability to collaborate with AI will be a defining factor for future career viability.

The workforce must adopt evolving artificial intelligence to avoid being left behind. It is essential for our people to embrace these tools to remain relevant in a transforming sector.

This strategic push builds upon a long-term foundation, as AustralianSuper has been actively utilising AI technologies since 2016. The formalisation of a dedicated AI leadership role under Sarah Carney follows the appointment of Mike Backeberg as Chief Platforms Officer in December 2025, a position created to centralise the fund’s technology, data, and AI strategies. The fund, which recently received the 2025-2026 Canstar Outstanding Value Award for Superannuation, is now looking to scale its technical capabilities to manage its substantial asset portfolio and member obligations more effectively.

Digital Advice for 3.6 Million Members

Coinciding with the new leadership appointment, AustralianSuper is commencing a wide-scale rollout of digital advice solutions. This initiative is designed to provide accessible financial guidance to the fund's 3.6 million members, many of whom have faced increasing difficulty in securing affordable traditional advice due to a decline in the number of human financial advisers across Australia. To facilitate this, the fund has entered into a partnership with Ignition, a specialist provider of digital financial advice technology.