Leeanne Turner
As part of its strategy for continuous improvement, MTAA Super has undergone a complete rebrand.
The name might still be the same but everything else about MTAA Super’s look is different. The industry superannuation fund recently unveiled a fresh rebrand, complemented by a new digital platform, to ensure it continuously delivers the best possible service and products to its client base. This is all part of its five-year strategic plan, led by CEO Leeanne Turner. She explains that driving the approach are two fundamental things: the company’s four core values of integrity, inspiration, community, and entrepreneurial spirit; and its three key objectives of growth, products and services, and brand.
Freedom for thinking
"If you look at all of those things together then you can see how the strategic plan is playing out," Leeanne says. "It was very important to us that we embarked on this plan in a holistic manner and built it from the ground up. Our values are a little bit different to most of our competitors. We have a vision to be the most inspiring superannuation fund in Australia, which is pretty exciting. It’s great because it means we can challenge everything we do, and everyone in the organisation has the freedom to think creatively, to innovate and to inspire. That opens up a world of opportunity."
Ultimately, Leeanne wants to move MTAA Super away from being perceived as a commodity, and rather position it as a community for its members. As an industry fund it predominantly looks after those who work in the motor trades and small business sectors, however its membership is open to anyone who would like to join.
Superannuation not just another commodity
"Superannuation is mandated for all Australian workers, so it’s really important that we don’t let it become just another commodity," she says. "At MTAA Super we want to be part of the community; the industry we are in has an impact on all Australians so we want to be involved. That’s what we are trying to communicate more effectively with our members. We have changed the way we have written our communication material and our website to be more inclusive and community oriented.
At MTAA Super we want to be part of the community; the industry we are in has an impact on all Australians so we want to be involved.
"We are involved with various causes and events as well. For example, we have been a long-term supporter of the Mother’s Day Classic, a national fun run and walk that raises funds for breast cancer research. We have also supported the suicide prevention organisation Lifeline for over a decade. It’s those sorts of things that can make a difference. We want to support our members and the community as much as we possibly can."
Rewards from revitalisation
Leeanne has been the CEO of MTAA Super since November 2011 and prior to that she was the Deputy CEO. She says the fund has gone through some extremely challenging times in the aftermath of the global financial crisis; however, it has been rewarding to play a role in rebuilding its integrity and investment performance.
"We have completely revitalised so many things," she shares. "From a governance perspective we are one of very few industry funds that have the ‘third–third–third’ model — we have three independent directors, three member-nominated directors and three employer-nominated directors. We have refined our investment strategy and that’s been a highlight, seeing the fund through the challenging times and coming out on top with a whole new look. And we’ve undertaken a complete rebrand which has been super exciting."
As a leader, Leeanne is passionate and motivated. She is continuously driving MTAA Super to do better and to inspire its members. But she knows she can’t do it all on her own. The fund has a great team of staff in place and it also highly values the relationships it has with the companies in its supply chain. "We have a few material service providers that are critical to our operations," Leeanne says.
"We outsource our administration and our group life insurance. Whitehelm Capital is another outsourced provider. Whitehelm is our principle asset consultant. It is incredibly important to have a great relationship with all of these partners and we see them as an extension of the fund. They need to align with the way we think and feel about things, they need to share our passion and, certainly where administration is concerned, project the right message because the Administrator is typically responsible for a member’s first experience with the fund.
‘Our providers feel as if they are an extension of the fund’
"It’s critical our providers feel as if they are an extension of the fund and not a separate organisation. That’s pretty much how we look after those relationships. Each of our business units has a focus on a particular service provider. I have very capable executives that assist with the management of those and ensure the partners are aligned with our values and all that we are trying to achieve."
For Leeanne, the best part of her job is the people she gets to work with on a daily basis. With technology making longer working hours easier, she says it’s not so much about work–life balance anymore as it is about work–life integration. "We all work pretty long, hard hours pursuing better outcomes for our members. When you spend so much time together it helps when you are all focused on achieving the same goal. The best results come from team work and it’s incredibly rewarding to then be able to see the fruits of our efforts and celebrate them together."