She was appointed to the role on an interim basis in March 2024 following the departure of Sally Collins, who has since joined Aware Super as chief operating officer.
“Natalie has already made an incredible contribution as acting CFO and, after an extensive selection process, I’m thrilled to welcome her permanently to HESTA’s executive team,” said HESTA chief executive Debby Blakey.
“Her track record and skill in delivering strong commercial results, developing financial strategy, driving innovation, and building talented teams will undoubtedly contribute to improving the financial wellbeing of our 1 million-plus members.”
In this role, Kelly will be responsible for managing financial and accounting processes, legal and compliance, tax, and project execution.
She brings more than two decades of experience across the finance, government, and healthcare sectors to the $82 billion fund. Most recently, she was an executive general manager at Bupa for a year and a half, reporting to the managing director of the Australian health insurance business.
Prior to this, she worked at Medibank for almost a decade across a number of roles.
Her résumé also includes more than six years at Commonwealth Bank, most recently as a senior equities analyst for ASX-listed healthcare companies, and three and a half years at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) as a project officer.
Last month, the $82 billion fund also welcomed a former Citi Australia executive as its new head of investment execution. Sophie Jelleff, who commenced on 8 April, was tasked with shaping and leading the fund’s investment execution strategies, collaborating closely with the executive and investment management teams.
