Apex names Claire Ross to lead Australia superannuation

Apex Group has appointed Claire Ross as Chief Executive Officer of its Superannuation Australia business, adding former Mercer Super Chief Executive Officer to its Australian leadership team.

Ross will start on 1 February 2027. She joins Apex after leading Mercer Super and holding senior roles in superannuation and pensions administration across Australia, North America and the UK.

The appointment comes as Apex looks to deepen its presence in the Australian superannuation market. Ross will lead its superannuation administration business in Australia, where providers face rising regulatory demands and changing member expectations.

Ross has worked in the pensions and retirement sector for more than 30 years. Her career has spanned customer service, administration, operational leadership and executive management, beginning with frontline work taking calls from pension fund members in the UK.

She later oversaw retirement and superannuation programmes supporting more than two million members and beneficiaries. Her experience spans the UK, Australia, the Americas, India and Europe, and includes major operational transformation and administration projects.

Australian focus

Apex is a financial services provider that says it services more than US$3.5 trillion in assets and employs more than 13,000 people in more than 50 countries. In Australia, superannuation administration has become an increasingly contested part of the broader retirement market, with trustees and service providers under pressure to update systems, improve service and respond to tighter oversight.

Peter Hughes, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Apex Group, outlined the company's view of the appointment.

"Claire is one of the most experienced and respected leaders in the global pensions and superannuation sector. Her deep expertise in administration, operations and transformational change will further strengthen our ability to support clients as they navigate increasing complexity, evolving member expectations and growing regulatory demands," Hughes said.

Before joining Apex, Ross was Chief Executive Officer of Mercer Super. She also held the roles of Chief Operating Officer, Pacific, and Superannuation Services Leader at Mercer, broadening her operational and regional management experience.

Her track record includes technology modernisation, service delivery improvement and large-scale operational change in pensions and retirement organisations. Those themes have become central across the superannuation sector as administrators and trustees manage cost pressures, data demands and member service standards.

Career path

Ross's progression from call centre work to senior executive roles is unusual in an industry often led by finance or investment specialists. That background gives her direct experience of member-facing operations as well as an understanding of large administration businesses.

Ross said the appointment comes at a time of significant change for the sector, while reflecting a long-standing focus in her own career.

"I am excited to join Apex Group at such an important time for the superannuation industry. Throughout my career, my passion has been to help millions of people retire well. From taking calls from pension members in the UK to leading major retirement and superannuation businesses globally, I have remained focused on delivering better outcomes for members, clients and stakeholders. I look forward to working with our clients and teams to continue building innovative, high-performing administration solutions that support Australia's retirement system," Ross said.

The appointment gives Apex a senior executive with direct experience running one of the country's established superannuation providers as the group expands in a market where scale, administration quality and regulatory execution remain key competitive issues.