Speakers
Australia’s proposed sustainable investment product labelling regime could be a watershed moment for market transparency, strengthening both institutional and retail investor confidence, lifting standards and tackling greenwashing head-on. So let’s design it right.
Labelling standards, their application and enforcement must engender consumer trust while preserving flexibility for product innovation. This will ensure that consumers and retail investors can make informed choices while retaining access to a set of diverse, values-aligned investment products.
In this session, leading practitioners in sustainable investment product design unpack what effective product labelling looks like in practice: from the use of sustainability terminology in product messaging, the robust implementation of responsible investment strategies and managing the complexity of these products with the increasing scrutiny. The discussion will explore how funds can make credible, evidence-based claims, meet evolving regulatory expectations and remain fit-for-purpose as consumer and retail investor demand for sustainable investment strategies continues to grow.
Chief Executive Officer Australia & Senior Investment Director of Dimensional Fund Advisors
Bhanu Singh is the CEO and Director of DFA Australia Limited as well as Senior Investment Director. Bhanu manages Dimensional’s business interests in Australia. He is also a member of Dimensional’s Investment Research Committee, which reviews potential investment strategy enhancements. He works closely with Dimensional’s research team to develop and implement solutions that are designed to help clients achieve their goals.
Bhanu has close to 20 years of industry experience. He started working for Dimensional in 2003 as a Trading Assistant, then became Head of Asia-Pacific Portfolio Management in 2015 before being named CEO in 2023.
Bhanu holds a BA in business economics with honours from UCLA and an MBA in analytical finance with honours from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
RIAA Board Member & Head of Responsible Investment at Aware Super
Liza McDonald, Head of Responsible Investments, Aware Super Liza has over 20 years’ experience in the superannuation sector and is a specialist and passionate advocate for Responsible Investments and Sustainable Finance.
As Head of Responsible Investments , she has led the development and implementation of the Fund’s Responsible Investment policies, the execution of the Climate Change Strategy and also manages the ESG policy implementation including manager and asset class ESG reviews.
Liza joined Aware Super through our merger partner Health Super in December 2006 as an analyst in the Compliance, Legal and Risk Team. Before joining Aware Super, Liza held various roles at Mercer Legal where her primary focus was on trustee education and corporate secretarial duties.
Liza represents Aware Super on a number of working groups and committees including Investors Against Slavery & Trafficking APAC (IAST-APAC); ESG Research Australia; the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative (ASFI); the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA); 40:40 Vision; the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) and the UN convened Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance (GISD).
Liza became a RIAA Board Member in December 2022.
Senior Manager Research Analyst at Morningstar
Shamir Popat is a senior analyst, manager research, for Morningstar*. He currently covers predominantly global and domestic equities,with additional responsibilities across multi-asset, ESG, and passivestrategies. Before joining Morningstar in 2022, Popat spent the previous year as a senior investment analyst at a boutique investment consulting firm in Sydney. Popat holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from La Trobe University and a bachelor’s degree in computing from Deakin University. *Morningstar AustralasiaPty Ltd (“Morningstar”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc.
Manager ESG Investments at UniSuper
Responsible investment professional with over 10 years’ experience spanning stewardship, ESG integration, policy and advocacy, and sustainable labelled products. At UniSuper, Jodie works across all asset classes, with deep experience in company and regulatory engagement, proxy voting, embedding ESG factors into multi‑asset investment, and conducting manager and asset due diligence. Jodie also supports the alignment of investment operations with responsible investment frameworks and contributes to the delivery of investment outcomes through sustainable products.
Head of Certification at RIAA
Shalini plays a pivotal role at RIAA, spearheading the oversight of the organisation’s esteemed Certification Program, Sustainability Classifications, and as an AFSL Responsible Manager. Shalini’s role is vital as the financial industry faces increased scrutiny and a need for accurate product labelling. Her dedication ensures RIAA’s Certification Program remains robust and trustworthy in an ever-evolving market landscape.
With over a decade of combined experience in ESG investment research and certification, her expertise strengthens RIAA’s position. She has contributed significantly to the responsible investment and broader corporate sustainability industry through organisations like B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, Minderoo Foundation, the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors and the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment. Shalini is a member of the Standards Australia Technical Group for the ISO Committee on Sustainable Finance, a Co-Convenor of the Inner Development Goals Australia Hubs Collaboration, a Graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course, and has been a mentor at Altiorem since 2020. With her wealth of expertise, she brings valuable insights from her extensive background, benefiting RIAA and its mission as a whole.
Head of Policy & Advocacy at RIAA
Nayanisha is a senior lawyer with extensive federal public sector experience in governance, corporate compliance and regulation.
She arrives at RIAA after a long history at the corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). She was the project lead on ASIC’s thematic review into greenwashing by ‘green’ or ‘ethical’ managed funds and superannuation funds. This consisted of a review of the market, close engagement with international regulators and International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), and developing a deep understanding of both the existing Australian regulatory framework and government priorities as well as international development in this space. Through this review, she led a group across ASIC’s Corporations, Superannuation and Investment Managers teams to deliver industry and consumer guidance.
Outside of work, she volunteers as a board member and secretary at Juno Services Inc., a not-for-profit family violence and homelessness service provider based in Melbourne. She is also on the board of Fitted for Work, a charity focused on helping women experiencing disadvantage get work, keep work and navigate through working life.
