Jo Townsend

Jo Townsend is the chief executive of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, having taken on the role a year ago after managing a similar fund in South Australia. Her career journey in finance began unexpectedly when she left school early and started working as a secretary. Through determination and hard work, she transitioned into finance, ultimately discovering her passion while at Rothschild Asset Management. Despite her significant achievements, including steering the NZ Super Fund towards a long-term investment strategy that has yielded average returns of around 10% annually, Townsend remains conservative in her personal investment approach. Her story reflects resilience and a commitment to understanding the complexities of financial markets.