That Super Show

#36. [Thanks to Zanna Benson for this episode's intro]. Sarah Penn and Neil Benson tackle the recurring friction between government ambitions for superannuation and the industry's core purpose—debating whether politicians should steer fund investments into national priorities like foreign meat processing, or stick to protecting member interests and retirement security.

Through the lens of recent headlines—including the ACCC’s pointed approval of Grow’s acquisition by MUFG—the episode argues that systemic caution and skepticism toward government direction is warranted, especially as regulatory scrutiny around innovation, trustee limits, and advice fee structures intensifies.

The discussion exposes the uncomfortable gap between what policymakers want from the super industry and what funds can or should deliver, especially as international models creep in. The hosts call out the risks of layering conflicting objectives onto super and warn that regulatory and capital barriers could freeze out local innovation. They also shine a light on the patchwork nature of trustee limits and advice fee oversight, suggesting that an overly complex or interventionist approach helps no one—least of all members. If you’re navigating the fine line between members’ best interests and stakeholder expectations, or wrestling with regulatory drift and operational risk, this one’s for you.

Who should listen:

• Superannuation trustees and executive teams fielding both government direction and member-first obligations
• Product and operations leaders worried about the feasibility of large tech transitions or regulatory pressure
• Financial advisers and compliance officers monitoring emerging rules on advice fee deductions

• Post Retirement Conference 2026, 20 Oct, Sydney
• FSC Retirement Summit, 22 Oct, Sydney
• Engage 2026, 27-28 Oct, Melbourne
• Super FundTech 2026, 29-30 Oct, Melbourne

That Super Show is the most downloaded podcast for Australian superannuation professionals. Sarah and Neil cover the issues, debates and decisions shaping the industry - without the spin.

Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and don't forget to leave us a rating and review.

• Visit That Super Show website and become a newsletter subscriber
• Email [email protected] if you've got a topic you'd like us to cover or a guest proposal or suggestion
• Follow That Super Show on LinkedIn
• Follow That Super Show on YouTube

Sarah Penn

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

• Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
• Follow Mayflower Consulting on LinkedIn
• Visit Mayflower Consulting website

Neil Benson

Neil Benson is the global chief product officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on intelligent customer messaging for regulated organisations, including superannuation funds, banks, insurers, utilities and public sector organisations. His AI startup, Novagentic, was acquired by ChandlerCX in February 2026.

• Connect with Neil on LinkedIn
• Follow ChandlerCX on LinkedIn
• Visit ChandlerCX website

Mentioned in this episode:

Chandler CX Digital Forms

 You know that eight-page PDF form that scares off half your members before they finish page two? We turn it into a smart, mobile-first digital form. Prefilled, validated in real time, signed on the spot and straight through processed into your registry.

ChandlerCX

#35 Neil Benson and Sarah Penn break down the real impact of recent superannuation reforms, the ongoing debate over fund consolidation, and the complex trade-offs facing Australia's retirement system.

The heart of this episode is a growing tension: while Australia’s super system is lauded for low pension spending and strong retirement outcomes, it faces mounting criticism—especially from politicians—over housing affordability, administrative complexity, and perceived failures in policy. Neil Benson and Sarah Penn challenge claims that compulsory super is a “public policy failure”, pointing to Australia’s pension spend (2.3% of GDP) being dramatically lower than the OECD average (9%). But they dig into uncomfortable truths, like rising admin fees, the fallout from the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort, and unintended side effects of regulatory changes on insurance and member outcomes.

The hosts explore:

• Is letting Australians dip into super for housing worsening rather than solving the crisis?
• Are super funds being pushed into unwinnable roles—like supplementing government failures on mental health and housing supply?
• Does squeezing the number of funds to just a handful actually benefit members, or is it just easier for regulators?
• Is increasing regulatory intervention in how super funds operate really moving the needle—or just inflating costs?

Who should listen?

• Super fund CEOs and product leaders deciding strategy amid ongoing consolidation
• Policy and compliance managers responsible for interpreting regulatory change
• Fund trustees and directors grappling with “best interests” in mergers and rising admin costs

Mentioned in this episode:

ChandlerCX Internactive Statements

It’s annual statement time for superannuation funds and ChandlerCX is busy developing interactive statements that are engaging personalised microsites for members. Think of it like Spotify Wrapped for superannuation. Visit https://www.chandler.com.au/add-ons/interactive-statements.

ChandlerCX

#34. The new era of super legislation: how much is too much—and who pays? Sarah and Neil dig into the government's proposed reforms with Financial Services Council CEO Blake Briggs, uncovering the central tension: how do you craft effective consumer protections after the First Guardian and Shield disasters, without layering on so much complexity and cost that it stifles the industry and confuses members?

The discussion pulls no punches on who shoulders the fallout from bad actors—with good advisers, super funds, and even unrelated sectors picking up the multimillion-dollar CSLR tab for a handful of failures.

Blake Briggs is blunt: unless reforms get costs down, the logic of "spreading pain" through ever-wider levies won’t last. The episode also covers why banks are being deliberately sidelined from the new advice model, the ongoing struggles to police dodgy lead generation and advertising, and the philosophical question of whether we’re training the public to expect zero risk; or shouldering the cost for market events nobody can insure away.

Who should listen:

• Product, risk, or legal leads at APRA-regulated super funds facing a regulatory overhaul
• Anyone working in compliance, policy, or practice management wrestling with uncertainty about CSLR costs or due diligence reforms
• Trustees or directors trying to gauge what the next three years look like in advice, advertising, or member communications

04:01 Engaging with industry regulations

09:14 Challenges in Financial Advisory Market

12:16 New rules on financial cold calls

13:43 Legitimate competition in financial advice

19:46 Discussing market risk and consumer expectations

22:32 Superannuation due diligence improvements

25:33 Changes to CSIR compensation rules

30:02 ASIC's funds management reforms

32:11 Investment liquidity and consumer expectations

35:49 Risks of uninformed investing

41:03 Drafting and refining legislation process

44:50 Government reforms in investment industry

47:08 Upcoming industry session and gala dinner

• Connect with Blake Briggs on LinkedIn
• Follow Financial Services Council on LinkedIn
• Visit Financial Services Council website
• Attend FSC Retirement Summit: 22 Oct 2026, Sydney

That Super Show is the most downloaded podcast for Australian superannuation professionals. Sarah and Neil cover the issues, debates and decisions shaping the industry - without the spin.

Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and don't forget to leave us a rating and review.

• Visit That Super Show website and become a newsletter subscriber
• Email [email protected] if you've got a topic you'd like us to cover or a guest proposal or suggestion
• Follow That Super Show on LinkedIn
• Follow That Super Show on YouTube

Sarah Penn

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

• Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
• Follow Mayflower Consulting on LinkedIn
• Visit Mayflower Consulting website

Neil Benson

Neil Benson is the global chief product officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on intelligent customer messaging for regulated organisations, including superannuation funds, banks, insurers, utilities and public sector organisations. His AI startup, Novagentic, was acquired by ChandlerCX in February 2026.

• Connect with Neil on LinkedIn
• Follow ChandlerCX on LinkedIn
• Visit ChandlerCX website

Mentioned in this episode:

Chandler CX Digital Forms

 You know that eight-page PDF form that scares off half your members before they finish page two? We turn it into a smart, mobile-first digital form. Prefilled, validated in real time, signed on the spot and straight through processed into your registry.

ChandlerCX

#33. Australian Food Super’s Dan Musson and InvestStream’s Gary Bryan join Neil and Sarah to dig into the realities - not just the AI-pilled promise - of using AI to make super advice genuinely usable for everyday Australians.

Most digital super tools feel like bland calculators or force members into a Woolworths-like DIY experience, making the complex even harder. Australian Food Super wanted not just self-service, but truly member-friendly advice, especially for a membership base often new to the Australian workforce or with limited financial and language literacy. Their answer was a new app, built with InvestStream, that uses conversational AI layered over robust, regulated mathematical models turning intimidating jargon and forms into real conversations, accessible explanations, and actionable choices.

• Why regulated industries like super can't just 'plug in' chatbots and hope for the best—instead, they need compliance-first, auditable tech with tight guardrails.
• The strategic advantage: Smaller funds, with less bureaucracy, can innovate faster and co-design tools to genuinely fit their members, not just copy what’s easy.
• How conversational AI, when used right, isn't about replacing advisers, but making complex calculators accessible, demystifying concepts, and driving real outcomes for ordinary Australians.
• The ongoing balance: Surviving and thriving with regulatory ambiguity, and making member-first innovation work while waiting for clearer guidance from ASIC or APRA.

Who should listen:

• Fund executives and trustees at smaller/boutique superannuation funds looking to use tech to leapfrog larger competitors.
• Product, member experience, or digital leads wrestling with how to use AI without compromising compliance or trust.
• Anyone in regulated financial services seeking practical, first-hand lessons on deploying chat-driven digital advice—without the “wild west” risks.

—Dan Musson, Aus Food Super

04:07 Introducing AI at ASFA Conference

07:41 Developing Financial Modeling Processes

12:45 Discussing AI Regulation and Trust

14:20 Regulation lagging behind technology

19:20 Simplifying complex legal info

21:48 Understanding member concerns with super

24:59 Testing product ideas with feedback

29:09 Developing compliant insurance conversations

32:21 Embracing innovation and risk balance

34:39 Rethinking superannuation industry challenges

39:31 Improving member support and resources

40:34 Future plans for member-focused tools

Dan Musson, chief experience officer at Australian Food Super

• Connect with Dan on LinkedIn
• Follow Australian Food Super on LinkedIn
• Visit Australian Food Super website

Gary Bryan, chief product officer at InvestStream

• Connect with Gary on LinkedIn
• Follow InvestStream on LinkedIn
• Visit InvestStream website

Mentioned in this episode:

ChandlerCX Internactive Statements

It’s annual statement time for superannuation funds and ChandlerCX is busy developing interactive statements that are engaging personalised microsites for members. Think of it like Spotify Wrapped for superannuation. Visit https://www.chandler.com.au/add-ons/interactive-statements.

ChandlerCX

#32. Neil Benson unpacks the growing pressure on Australian superannuation funds to clearly explain what members pay for, and whether scale, complexity, and rising costs are delivering genuine value.

Central tension: As more funds merge, raise fees, or tweak insurance, the old argument that "bigger is better" isn't enough. Members, regulators, and boards now demand concrete proof that these changes actually improve retirement outcomes, service, and member experience—especially as costs climb and the product gets more complex to explain.

* Blooper: Prime Super's 140,000 members would represent 10% of the enlarged Aware Super member base, not 1%. Neil should have stuck to his notes.

Key arguments and questions explored:

• Mergers like Prime Super and Aware Super may boost size, but Neil challenges whether these scale plays tangibly benefit members, especially from the dominant fund's perspective.
• Insurance changes at BUSSQ Super underline difficult trade-offs between providing better cover and increasing cost, especially for underinsured sectors. The real issue is whether members understand (and want) what they’re getting.
• Fee increases at giants like AustralianSuper raise hard questions: If scale was supposed to lower costs, why are fees going up? Is new spending—on tech, cyber, compliance—making members’ lives better, or just making the business bigger?
• As funds like Spaceship Super seek higher fees to enter complex investments like private credit, Neil warns it’s not enough to promise higher returns; funds owe members a transparent, easily understood rationale.
• The big challenge across these stories: Can funds make their increasingly sophisticated offerings understandable and defensible without alienating members or regulators?

Who should listen:

• Fund trustees or executives facing member questioning about mergers, fees, or insurance changes
• CX, product, and insurance leads in super funds wrestling with how to communicate value to disengaged or skeptical members
• Anyone in superannuation tasked with justifying strategy to regulators or boards

• Prime Super and Aware Super announce plans to explore Successor Fund Transfer
• AustralianSuper lifts administration fees while investment costs decline
• BUSSQ ups insurance cover, costs
• Spaceship Super ups fees on private credit exposure

That Super Show is the most downloaded podcast for Australian superannuation professionals. Sarah and Neil cover the issues, debates and decisions shaping the industry - without the spin.

Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and don't forget to leave us a rating and review.

• Visit That Super Show website and become a newsletter subscriber
• Email [email protected] if you've got a topic you'd like us to cover or a guest proposal or suggestion
• Follow That Super Show on LinkedIn
• Follow That Super Show on YouTube

Sarah Penn

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

• Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
• Follow Mayflower Consulting on LinkedIn
• Visit Mayflower Consulting website

Neil Benson

Neil Benson is the global chief product officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on intelligent customer messaging for regulated organisations, including superannuation funds, banks, insurers, utilities and public sector organisations. His AI startup, Novagentic, was acquired by ChandlerCX in February 2026.

• Connect with Neil on LinkedIn
• Follow ChandlerCX on LinkedIn
• Visit ChandlerCX website

#31. The episode digs into why customer service in superannuation call centres is consistently failing, what that means for members at moments of real need, and whether mandatory service standards are required to fix it.

Xavier O'Halloran of Super Consumers Australia joins Neil Benson and Sarah Penn to break down the findings of a first-of-its-kind research project: not one super fund met basic customer care expectations, with average scores across the industry barely scraping 49 out of 100.

The conversation moves beyond the numbers to challenge assumptions about what good service actually looks like in super, question the incentives facing funds, and ask whether consumers can trust the market to improve on its own—or if regulation and public benchmarking are the only way forward.

There's a clear sense that too much focus on efficiency metrics, like short call durations, misses the real point: helping people, often at their most vulnerable. The hosts and guest also debate wider consumer protection gaps, from SMSFs to retirement product design, arguing that fair and accessible service must be a foundation, not an afterthought.

• Super fund executives and trustees concerned about service standards or looming regulation
• Contact centre leaders tasked with improving member experience
• Policy or compliance professionals tracking how customer care is shaping industry benchmarking and government intervention

"They just had to act like a human. So not very high bar, but that was the one that they scored worse on." — Xavier O'Halloran

04:40 Issues with superannuation customer service

06:45 Improving service through practical examples

10:55 Addressing vulnerable customer interactions

14:59 Research to improve fund transparency

18:54 Consumer channel preferences by age

19:32 Superannuation accessibility and diversity

24:00 Discussion on advice fee levies

27:53 Proposed reforms for SMSF trustees

30:16 Concerns about low-cost SMSFs

33:04 Understanding consumer retirement planning

37:11 Evaluating retirement investment options

42:08 Advancements in individual savings

45:53 Improving retirement service integration

49:32 Concerns about retirement planning changes

51:19 Discussing safe harbor legislation concerns

• Connect with Xavier O'Halloran on LinkedIn
• Follow Super Consumers Australia on LinkedIn
• Visit Super Consumers Australia website

That Super Show is the most downloaded podcast for Australian superannuation professionals. Sarah and Neil cover the issues, debates and decisions shaping the industry - without the spin.

Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and don't forget to leave us a rating and review.

• Visit That Super Show website and become a newsletter subscriber
• Email [email protected] if you've got a topic you'd like us to cover or a guest proposal or suggestion
• Follow That Super Show on LinkedIn
• Follow That Super Show on YouTube

Sarah Penn

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

• Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
• Follow Mayflower Consulting on LinkedIn
• Visit Mayflower Consulting website

Neil Benson

Neil Benson is the global chief product officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on intelligent customer messaging for regulated organisations, including superannuation funds, banks, insurers, utilities and public sector organisations. His AI startup, Novagentic, was acquired by ChandlerCX in February 2026.

• Connect with Neil on LinkedIn
• Follow ChandlerCX on LinkedIn
• Visit ChandlerCX website

Mentioned in this episode:

Chandler CX Digital Forms

 You know that eight-page PDF form that scares off half your members before they finish page two? We turn it into a smart, mobile-first digital form. Prefilled, validated in real time, signed on the spot and straight through processed into your registry.

ChandlerCX

#30. Cohosts Neil Benson and Sarah Penn chat with Kerry Vogel, Head of Insurance Claims, Performance and Delivery at CBUS Super.

Today's conversation focuses on how CBUS Super responded to major failings in handling death claims by moving beyond surface fixes and fundamentally redesigning the process.

The central argument: Australian super funds create unnecessary complexity and distress for grieving families by relying on outdated, paperwork-heavy systems, and CBUS has proven it’s possible (and necessary) to remove those frictions even within tight regulatory constraints.

A key theme that emerged was how stripping away non-binding and lapsing nomination options, and instead prioritizing a single, digital-first, non-lapsing binding nomination, can mean faster, simpler outcomes, anchored in clear trust deed rules and tailored to real member behaviours. The discussion explored why simply throwing more staff at claim backlogs doesn’t work and how only deep, systemic change can build genuine trust with members. Several points were raised, including the regulatory grey areas around nominations, the human cost of delays, and the need to make processes as straightforward, and as empathetic, as possible.

Who should listen

• Claims and operations leaders in Australian super funds struggling with legacy processes and regulatory pressure
• Product or legal professionals considering trust deed reform or digital transformation of member nominations
• Trustees and fund executives wary of adopting bold procedural changes post-regulatory action

• Connect with Kerry Vogel on LinkedIn
• Follow CBUS Super on LinkedIn
• Visit CBUS Super website

• Kerry Vogel emphasizes that death claims are both a crucial responsibility and a complex challenge for superannuation funds, highlighting the emotional weight behind these processes.
• The podcast reveals how Kerry led efforts at CBUS Super to overhaul the death claims process, aiming to simplify and enhance member understanding of their benefits.
• A significant point discussed was the need for clarity in binding nominations, as many members mistakenly believe their nominations are more definitive than they are, illustrating a gap in financial literacy.
• Kerry's approach includes not just streamlining procedures but also ensuring that the claims team maintains empathy, recognizing the human stories behind each claim.
• The conversation touched on the importance of regulatory compliance while seeking innovative solutions to make the claims process more efficient and user-friendly.
• Kerry stresses the continuous nature of improvement, suggesting that the claims process will always evolve, reflecting the need to stay responsive to member needs and industry changes.

00:00 Examining superannuation challenges

04:23 Challenges in Death Claim Processing

10:56 Ensuring valid member nominations

15:01 Dealing with death claim objections

18:54 Discussing estate distribution process

21:00 Addressing nominations and trustee discretion

24:17 Ensuring policy transparency

28:26 Issues with binding nominations

31:40 Implementing a new claims process

35:52 Simplifying call center processes

38:09 Analyzing and improving death claims

40:01 Discussing problem-solving approaches

That Super Show is the most downloaded podcast for Australian superannuation professionals. Sarah and Neil cover the issues, debates and decisions shaping the industry - without the spin.

Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and don't forget to leave us a rating and review.

• Visit That Super Show website and become a newsletter subscriber
• Email [email protected] if you've got a topic you'd like us to cover or a guest proposal or suggestion
• Follow That Super Show on LinkedIn
• Follow That Super Show on YouTube

Sarah Penn

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

• Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
• Follow Mayflower Consulting on LinkedIn
• Visit Mayflower Consulting website

Neil Benson

Neil Benson is the global chief product officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on intelligent customer messaging for regulated organisations, including superannuation funds, banks, insurers, utilities and public sector organisations. His AI startup, Novagentic, was acquired by ChandlerCX in February 2026.

• Connect with Neil on LinkedIn
• Follow ChandlerCX on LinkedIn
• Visit ChandlerCX website

Mentioned in this episode:

Chandler CX Digital Forms

 You know that eight-page PDF form that scares off half your members before they finish page two? We turn it into a smart, mobile-first digital form. Prefilled, validated in real time, signed on the spot and straight through processed into your registry.

ChandlerCX

#29. Guest Duncan McPherson, founder of Borromean Consulting and former Link Advice CEO, joins Sarah and Neil to dig into the evolving intersection of advice and superannuation delivery.

The discussion challenges the old idea that there’s a single operating model for advice within funds, arguing instead that the critical issue is how and where each fund draws the line between in-house and external capabilities—a threshold that's now shifting under regulatory, commercial, and technological pressures.

The conversation highlights a growing urgency for funds to modernise advice: digital advice is no longer a "bolt-on" but must be woven into the core service ecosystem. Members’ expectations are shaped by the rapid adoption of AI and digital experiences in other sectors—even as Australian consumers remain cautious and want to see human support layered into these new models. The industry’s own conservatism—with compliance teams sometimes slow to adapt after the Royal Commission—is now a real competitive risk, as members increasingly seek quick, personalised answers from tech-driven sources outside the traditional super system.

Funds also face a tough commercial reality: new member acquisition is costly and pointless if those members leave quickly. Retention hinges on a consistent, personalised member experience, and advice—particularly digital advice—plays a central role in building ongoing engagement throughout a member’s lifetime, not just at joining or retirement.

For those juggling advisor relationships, Duncan notes the tension: advisors can become a channel for assets to leave, especially if funds are seen as hard partners. Making advisor access easy and valued—through dedicated portals, integrated data, and clear strategy—is the only way for funds to remain in the game.

00:18 - Exploring Financial Guidance Options for Superannuation Funds

09:48 - The Future of Advice in Superannuation

17:56 - Consumer Trust and Digital Engagement in Finance

20:10 - The Evolution of Digital Advice in Superannuation

35:20 - Navigating Relationships Between Advisors and Super Funds

41:30 - The Future of Financial Advice

• Connect with Duncan McPherson on LinkedIn
• Visit Borromean Consulting website

Mentioned in this episode:

Chandler CX Digital Forms

 You know that eight-page PDF form that scares off half your members before they finish page two? We turn it into a smart, mobile-first digital form. Prefilled, validated in real time, signed on the spot and straight through processed into your registry.

ChandlerCX

#28. Join Sarah and Neil as they recap from day two at the Future Fund Admin 2026 forum in Sydney.

This episode argues that super funds can’t achieve real member experience improvements by relying only on surface-level changes—like updated communication—without fixing the underlying systems and rules that shape every customer interaction. Through firsthand stories and honest discussion, the hosts show why complexity and legacy processes frustrate members and staff alike, and why personalisation efforts often walk a fine line between helpful and intrusive. The episode pushes leaders to rethink what “good” looks like and to get comfortable questioning long-held ways of doing things.

Who should listen

• Member operations and service leaders wrestling with complaints about process complexity
• Fund digital and product teams struggling to make personalisation feel supportive, not creepy
• Communications managers tasked with responding to unhappy members when the root cause is out of their hands

• The podcast dives deep into the evolving superannuation landscape, highlighting the pivotal role of member experience over technical jargon, which makes for a refreshing change.
• Listeners are reminded that even industry experts can struggle with superannuation processes, emphasizing the need for clearer communication across the board.
• Mary Payne's heartfelt story about her father's experience with super funds underscored the emotional weight behind the industry's technicalities, making it relatable.
• The conversation touches on the idea that improving member experience isn't just about technology, but fundamentally about understanding and addressing real human needs and emotions.
• Changing the trust deed was a surprising move discussed at the conference, showcasing that bold steps are being taken to enhance service delivery in superannuation.
• The episode wraps up with a light-hearted yet serious examination of the balance between data surveillance and genuine member engagement, leaving listeners with much to ponder.

That Super Show is the most downloaded podcast for Australian superannuation professionals. Sarah and Neil cover the issues, debates and decisions shaping the industry - without the spin.

Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and don't forget to leave us a rating and review.

• Visit That Super Show website and become a newsletter subscriber
• Email [email protected] if you've got a topic you'd like us to cover or a guest proposal or suggestion
• Follow That Super Show on LinkedIn
• Follow That Super Show on YouTube

Sarah Penn

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

• Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
• Follow Mayflower Consulting on LinkedIn
• Visit Mayflower Consulting website

Neil Benson

Neil Benson is the global chief product officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on intelligent customer messaging for regulated organisations, including superannuation funds, banks, insurers, utilities and public sector organisations. His AI startup, Novagentic, was acquired by ChandlerCX in February 2026.

• Connect with Neil on LinkedIn
• Follow ChandlerCX on LinkedIn
• Visit ChandlerCX website

Mentioned in this episode:

ChandlerCX Internactive Statements

It’s annual statement time for superannuation funds and ChandlerCX is busy developing interactive statements that are engaging personalised microsites for members. Think of it like Spotify Wrapped for superannuation. Visit https://www.chandler.com.au/add-ons/interactive-statements.

ChandlerCX

ChandlerCX Internactive Statements

It’s annual statement time for superannuation funds and ChandlerCX is busy developing interactive statements that are engaging personalised microsites for members. Think of it like Spotify Wrapped for superannuation. Visit https://www.chandler.com.au/add-ons/interactive-statements.

ChandlerCX

#27. Join Sarah and Neil as they recap from day one at the Future Fund Admin 2026 forum in Sydney.

This episode grapples with whether Australia’s superannuation industry will really consolidate to just a handful of mega funds—and what that could mean for members, small funds, and fund administrators caught between regulatory expectations and practical realities. Sarah and Neil unpack how the growing focus on members’ real experiences is colliding with operational constraints, regulatory change, and technology.

Who should listen:

• Fund administrators weighing the costs and risks of consolidation, especially anyone managing a small or niche fund.
• Trustees or CEOs facing pressure over future business models and trustee structures.
• Operations and communications managers responsible for major regulatory rollouts (like Payday Super), wondering how to actually reach small employers.

That Super Show is the most downloaded podcast for Australian superannuation professionals. Sarah and Neil cover the issues, debates and decisions shaping the industry - without the spin.

Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and don't forget to leave us a rating and review.

• Visit That Super Show website and become a newsletter subscriber
• Email [email protected] if you've got a topic you'd like us to cover or a guest proposal or suggestion
• Follow That Super Show on LinkedIn
• Follow That Super Show on YouTube

Sarah Penn

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

• Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
• Follow Mayflower Consulting on LinkedIn
• Visit Mayflower Consulting website

Neil Benson

Neil Benson is the global chief product officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on intelligent customer messaging for regulated organisations, including superannuation funds, banks, insurers, utilities and public sector organisations. His AI startup, Novagentic, was acquired by ChandlerCX in February 2026.

• Connect with Neil on LinkedIn
• Follow ChandlerCX on LinkedIn
• Visit ChandlerCX website

Mentioned in this episode:

ChandlerCX Internactive Statements

It’s annual statement time for superannuation funds and ChandlerCX is busy developing interactive statements that are engaging personalised microsites for members. Think of it like Spotify Wrapped for superannuation. Visit https://www.chandler.com.au/add-ons/interactive-statements.

ChandlerCX