With Bruce Roberts stepping down from his role as Group B Director at the conclusion of a four-year term, we recently welcomed Klair Safier to the Qantas Super Board.
After making the decision to step down from his role representing cabin crew members as Group B Director of Qantas Super, Bruce Roberts had a read of his original election statement. It gave him the opportunity to reflect on why he decided to stand for election in 2016, and what the fund has achieved through his four years on the Board.
For Bruce, who first joined Qantas as a flight attendant in 1995 and most recently served as a Customer Service Manager in International, improving the type of communication, information, and education to members was key.
“My election campaign focused on how I would try to improve knowledge about super and the different divisions among members, because when I spoke to my colleagues it seemed that no one understood how their super worked,” Bruce explained.
With this focus in mind, a seat on the Member Experience Committee, which oversees functions such as communications and advice to members, seemed a natural fit for Bruce once elected.
Four years on, Bruce said he’s proud of what has been achieved: through his time as Director, Qantas Super has changed the way it communicates with members and transformed its advice service, with members able to speak to the Super Advice team one-on-one or attend seminars and webinars to ask questions and learn more about their super.
Bruce also served on the Insurance and Nominations Committees.
“While I didn’t know that much about insurance going in, it quickly became a big passion for me, because I know how important it is for our members,” Bruce said.
As he passes the baton to incoming Group B Director Klair Safier, Bruce said his experience over the last four years has underscored the importance of member-elected Directors.
“The role of a member-elected Director is really important because, not only are we able to go and spread information among our members, we’re also able to go out and understand what’s actually happening with members, because we’re working by their side every day,” Bruce explained.
“Being able to help get the right information out there so members can better understand what their options are has probably been the best part of the role.”
Having member-elected Directors also ensures there are a variety of different perspectives and lived experiences in the boardroom, Bruce added.
Looking ahead, Bruce said he is excited to see Qantas Super continue its focus on providing members with services to help them better understand and grow their super.
Qantas Super recently welcomed Klair Safier to the board as the Group B member-elected Director, representing cabin crew members.
Klair has a genuine passion for super and tax. Having a good education has always been a top priority for Klair. It was her keen interest in superannuation which lead her to study the legislation at a post-graduate level. When the position on the superannuation board became available, she was excited about applying her knowledge for the benefit of our members.
“I have a genuine desire to help people and have gained a good sense of trust within the community from my accounting work. People know my background, so they’re used to coming to me in confidence to ask questions about their finances,” Klair explained.
In turn, she said, “I love seeing people achieve their financial goals and feeling confident that they can enjoy their retirement.”
For Klair, this connection with fellow members will be key to her role as a member-elected Director.
“Because I’m at the coalface, talking to people on a daily basis about their finances, I have good insights into what members need from their super and what concerns them.”
As she prepares to attend her first round of Board and Committee meetings in November, Klair said her focus will be on collaborating with her fellow Directors and Qantas Super management to ensure the fund continues to focus on creating positive member experiences and offering market leading products.
“I realise there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with this position, and I will give it my all and do my best,” Klair said.
Qantas Super held our 2022/23 Annual Member Meeting on 15 February 2024. .If you were unable to attend, you can catch up by reading a recap, or by watching a recording, or by listening to the meeting as a podcast.
In September 2023, Qantas Super’s Trustee announced that we would be exploring options to merge Qantas Super with other superannuation funds. As we embark on this process, we want to keep you informed at each stage of the process and answer your questions.
Here at Qantas Super, our purpose is to go above and beyond to help our members, so you can look forward. We know this is a value all of our members live and breathe in their own lives, so we wanted to recognise you and the work you do.
If you need help with making a decision about your super, you can get simple advice over the phone or face to face. It’s included as a part of your membership so there’s no extra cost.
