HESTA has announced a new CEO, with Robbie Campo set to take the top job in August 2026—subject to the usual regulatory approvals.
The announcement matters in more than just corporate terms. HESTA is a $100 billion profit-to-members industry fund, and it’s also described as one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds focused on the health and community services sector. The board says this next phase is meant to follow the fund’s growth beyond more than one million members, with women making up 80% of that total.
HESTA Chair Nicola Roxon congratulated Ms Campo and said her “wide-ranging leadership experience” across a 26-year career in the superannuation sector makes her a standout choice. Roxon also framed the appointment as a way to guide HESTA through what she called its “next, significant strategic era,” emphasizing that Ms Campo’s background spans executive and CEO roles, along with leading organisations through complex regulatory, operational and investment environments.
Misryoum newsroom reporting notes the search process was described as thorough, involving an interview stage from a “highly competitive field of applicants.” Right now, Ms Campo is CEO of ESSSuper. Her earlier leadership roles include Group Executive of Brand, Engagement, Advocacy and Product at CBUS and Deputy Chief Executive of Industry Super Australia (ISA). She’s also Chair of Women in Super, and has served as a non-executive director of Victoria Legal Aid as well as a Director at Industry Fund Services. On education, she holds a Bachelor of Law with Honours, a Bachelor of Arts, and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.
In a statement, Ms Campo said she felt “privileged” to be chosen to lead an organisation committed to improving the financial future of its members—“80% of whom are women” who predominantly work in health and community services. She said she’s “thrilled” to be appointed, linking the role directly to improving economic security for Australians and retirement outcomes for women. She also pointed to HESTA’s history, describing it as a “top performing fund” with “constant and courageous advocacy,” global leadership in responsible investment, and a strong track record of supporting members. The nurses, carers, educators, and community service workers, she said, “contribute so much to the community,” and it will be an honour to help them achieve a more secure retirement.
Campo added that she looks forward to building on HESTA’s foundations, and to receiving the baton from outgoing CEO Debby Blakey. Her start date, Misryoum newsroom reported, is timed to ensure a smooth transition from Ms Blakey in August. Ms Blakey welcomed the board’s decision, saying she’s had the opportunity to work with Robbie Campo “over many years on improving the super system for women and working Australians.” Blakey said she was “thrilled” to hand over to Robbie in August and felt confident Ms Campo will lead the fund “from strength to strength.”
For HESTA, the numbers are the backdrop: more than one million members, around 80% women, and assets currently managing approximately $100 billion invested around the world. The appointment is set to be effective August 2026, but it’s also explicitly described as subject to standard regulatory approvals, including fit and proper assessments and notification as required under the Financial Accountability Regime (FAR). And if you’ve ever sat through a final-day board meeting—there’s usually a quiet hum of printers and a lingering smell of coffee—it’s hard not to read this kind of decision as a signal that the fund wants to move carefully, but decisively, into its next chapter.
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