David Smith posthumously awarded Trustee of the Year

Long-serving director and former National Secretary of the Australian Services Union, David Smith, has been posthumously awarded the 2019 Trustee of the Year Award by the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST).

Smith, who passed away in 2019, had directorships in the profit-to-member sector, serving on the boards of AIST, Energy Super and most recently Hesta.

Eva Scheerlinck, AIST chief executive, said Smith was a tireless advocate for members and a staunch supporter of the equal representation governance model. 

“David was a true champion of the member ­– he was always thinking about ways to improve super for low income workers, women, and other vulnerable groups,” Scheerlinck said. 

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Smith’s widow, Alana Smith, thanked the superannuation industry for recognising the contribution he had made toward improving the retirement outcomes of Australians.

“David dedicated his working life advocating for those who were unable to advocate for themselves,” she said.

“He fought to improve employment conditions and to ensure that wage parity was introduced for industries that had been historically undervalued.

“As a family, we are so proud of David’s many accomplishments and we sincerely thank you for recognising his contributions.”

The recipient of the award was provided registration to AIST’s Global Dialogue conference, and Lisa Darmanin, Vision Super trustee director, had been chosen on Smith’s behalf in recognition of his mentoring and support for gender equality in the superannuation sector.

The award was announced at AIST’s annual general meeting and recognised the role that representative trustees played in Australia’s $3 trillion superannuation industry.