Cbus names chief member officer

The $68 billion industry fund has named Marianne Walker chief member officer, boosting the number of C-suite executives.

Previously, her title was group executive, member, and employer experience.

This change was made by Cbus chief executive Justin Arter to "explicitly demonstrate" that the fund's key focus is its members.

From an industry perspective, this title change makes a lot of sense.

The construction industry super fund believes the new title aligns more closely with the industry, where it is customary to have a chief customer officer.

From a title standpoint, this change is about recognition and being at the level of other industry titles - CFOs, CIOs, other CCOs.

The Cbus chief executive announced the title change on International Women's Day "to highlight the key contribution that women make at Cbus and everywhere."

Four of the eight executives reporting to Arter are women.

Commenting on being elevated to the C-suite, Walker explained that the new title is an important shift for Cbus and women in senior roles.

"Focus needs to shift to diversity at the executive level and a change in thinking of the roles that feed through to the CEO role. C-suite roles that are more likely held by women are often the roles that have yet to change to C-suite titles," she argued.

"I believe it is important, especially in the wake of IWD 2022, that we have a Cbus exec team whose titles reflect equality, self-empowerment, parity, and speak more clearly to the role that they actually perform - especially when it comes to women."

Before joining Cbus two years ago, Walker was executive director of customer support at the Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria, and head of the customer services program for Toll Group.

Earlier, she spent three years at City West Water as executive manager of business transformation and change and carried out a similar role at Origin Energy.