#29. Guest Duncan McPherson, founder of Borromean Consulting and former Link Advice CEO, joins Sarah and Neil to dig into the evolving intersection of advice and superannuation delivery. The discussion challenges the old idea that there’s a single operating model for advice within funds, arguing instead that the critical issue is how and where each fund draws the line between in-house and external capabilities—a threshold that's now shifting under regulatory, commercial, and technological pressures.

The conversation highlights a growing urgency for funds to modernise advice: digital advice is no longer a "bolt-on" but must be woven into the core service ecosystem. Members’ expectations are shaped by the rapid adoption of AI and digital experiences in other sectors—even as Australian consumers remain cautious and want to see human support layered into these new models. The industry’s own conservatism—with compliance teams sometimes slow to adapt after the Royal Commission—is now a real competitive risk, as members increasingly seek quick, personalised answers from tech-driven sources outside the traditional super system.

Funds also face a tough commercial reality: new member acquisition is costly and pointless if those members leave quickly. Retention hinges on a consistent, personalised member experience, and advice—particularly digital advice—plays a central role in building ongoing engagement throughout a member’s lifetime, not just at joining or retirement.

For those juggling advisor relationships, Duncan notes the tension: advisors can become a channel for assets to leave, especially if funds are seen as hard partners. Making advisor access easy and valued—through dedicated portals, integrated data, and clear strategy—is the only way for funds to remain in the game.

ABOUT DUNCAN

Duncan McPherson brings more than 30 years' experience across superannuation and advice. Over the past decade, Duncan has worked closely with some of Australia's largest and most progressive super funds and digital advice providers — developing board-approved advice strategies, leading the implementation of scaled and retirement advice services, and supporting organisations at every stage from early direction-setting through to delivery.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncanmcp/

https://borromeanconsulting.com.au/

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

www.linkedin.com/in/sarahpennau/

mayflower.com.au

Neil Benson is the Global Chief Product Officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on the intelligent automation of customer communications. In February 2026, his startup, Novagentic was acquired by ChandlerCX.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilbenson/

chandler.com.au

ABOUT THAT SUPER SHOW

That Super Show is a fortnightly podcast for Australian superannuation professionals. Sarah and Neil cover the issues, debates, and decisions shaping the industry — without the spin.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to leave us a 5 star review.

Got a topic you'd like us to cover? Reach out to either of us on LinkedIn.

#28. Join Sarah and Neil as they recap from day two at the Future Fund Admin 2026 forum in Sydney.

This episode argues that super funds can’t achieve real member experience improvements by relying only on surface-level changes—like updated communication—without fixing the underlying systems and rules that shape every customer interaction. Through firsthand stories and honest discussion, the hosts show why complexity and legacy processes frustrate members and staff alike, and why personalisation efforts often walk a fine line between helpful and intrusive. The episode pushes leaders to rethink what “good” looks like and to get comfortable questioning long-held ways of doing things.

Who should listen

• Member operations and service leaders wrestling with complaints about process complexity
• Fund digital and product teams struggling to make personalisation feel supportive, not creepy
• Communications managers tasked with responding to unhappy members when the root cause is out of their hands

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

www.linkedin.com/in/sarahpennau/

mayflower.com.au

Neil Benson is the Global Chief Product Officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on the intelligent automation of customer communications. In February 2026, his startup, Novagentic was acquired by ChandlerCX.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilbenson/

chandler.com.au

ABOUT THAT SUPER SHOW

That Super Show is a fortnightly podcast for Australian superannuation professionals. Sarah and Neil cover the issues, debates, and decisions shaping the industry — without the spin.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to leave us a 5 star review.

Got a topic you'd like us to cover? Reach out to either of us on LinkedIn.

Mentioned in this episode:

ChandlerCX Internactive Statements

It’s annual statement time for superannuation funds and ChandlerCX is busy developing interactive statements that are engaging personalised microsites for members. Think of it like Spotify Wrapped for superannuation. Visit https://www.chandler.com.au/add-ons/interactive-statements.

ChandlerCX

#27. Join Sarah and Neil as they recap from day one at the Future Fund Admin 2026 forum in Sydney.

This episode grapples with whether Australia’s superannuation industry will really consolidate to just a handful of mega funds—and what that could mean for members, small funds, and fund administrators caught between regulatory expectations and practical realities. Sarah and Neil unpack how the growing focus on members’ real experiences is colliding with operational constraints, regulatory change, and technology.

Who should listen:

• Fund administrators weighing the costs and risks of consolidation, especially anyone managing a small or niche fund.
• Trustees or CEOs facing pressure over future business models and trustee structures.
• Operations and communications managers responsible for major regulatory rollouts (like Payday Super), wondering how to actually reach small employers.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Sarah Penn is the CEO and founder of Mayflower Consulting, an Australian financial services consultancy specialising in product governance, PDS management, and product operating model design. Her team works with super funds, fund managers, and investment platforms across Australia.

www.linkedin.com/in/sarahpennau/

mayflower.com.au

Neil Benson is the Global Chief Product Officer at ChandlerCX, where he leads a team focused on the intelligent automation of customer communications. In February 2026, his startup, Novagentic was acquired by ChandlerCX.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilbenson/

chandler.com.au

ABOUT THAT SUPER SHOW

That Super Show is a fortnightly podcast for Australian superannuation professionals. Sarah and Neil cover the issues, debates, and decisions shaping the industry — without the spin.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to leave us a 5 star review.

Got a topic you'd like us to cover? Reach out to either of us on LinkedIn.

Mentioned in this episode:

ChandlerCX Internactive Statements

It’s annual statement time for superannuation funds and ChandlerCX is busy developing interactive statements that are engaging personalised microsites for members. Think of it like Spotify Wrapped for superannuation. Visit https://www.chandler.com.au/add-ons/interactive-statements.

ChandlerCX