About Vanguard

Chairman, Vanguard Investments Australia
Managing Director, International Planning & Development,
The Vanguard Group

Managing Director, Vanguard Investments Australia

John James is Managing Director for Vanguard Investments Australia, leading both the retail and institutional businesses.

John joined Vanguard at its U.S. headquarters in 2008 as head of broker-dealer sales and distribution, and more recently began development of a new line of global business focused on financial advisors and intermediaries.

He brings nearly two decades of experience working in senior roles with prominent Australian and New Zealand financial services companies. He was general manager of corporate distribution with MLC (and had responsibility for NAB’s Business Bank Wealth management arm) and was a senior executive with Rothschild Australia Asset Management. Prior to joining Vanguard, John was CEO of Port Adelaide Football Club (AFL).

Along with industry qualifications awarded by the Securities Institute of Australia and the National Insurance Institute, Mr. James holds an M.B.A. from The University of Adelaide.

Chief Investment Officer, Asia Pacific

Joseph Brennan is Chief Investment Officer for Vanguard in the Asia Pacific region, taking up the role in March 2009.

Joseph is primarily focused on Vanguard's investment management strategy and implementation, the continued development of Vanguard’s highly rated index investment process and an expanding range of new products and tailored investment solutions to a growing list of Australian and international clients.

Joseph's previous role was Principal of Vanguard's (US) Portfolio Review Department responsible for the oversight of Vanguard’s 160-plus mutual funds, assessing fund performance and portfolio consistency, as well as monitoring Vanguard’s 26 external advisors. Joseph began his career at Vanguard in 1991.

Chief Information Officer, Vanguard Investments Australia

Chris Stevens is Chief Operating Officer for Vanguard Investments Australia, responsible for IT, Investment operations and end to end business process management, and a member of the Australian Executive committee.

Chris joined Vanguard Investments Australia in October 2007 as Chief Information Officer for Asia Pacific, responsible for overseeing the technology delivery to the business for both the Australia and Asian region. Since joining Vanguard, Chris has overseen a range of significant business and technology transformational change, ranging from IT transformation through to a core business transformation.

Prior to joining Vanguard, Chris was Chief Information Officer for Sensis. Prior roles also include executive level sourcing and IT service delivery roles at Westpac Banking Corporation based in Sydney and with ANZ Banking Group across a range of executive roles, mainly within IT.

Chief Financial Officer, Vanguard Investments Australia

Jean-Yves Didier is Chief Financial Officer for Vanguard Investments Australia. He is responsible for the strategic oversight of Vanguard’s financial function and is a member of Vanguard’s executive team.

Principal & Head of Retail

Robin Bowerman is Head of Vanguard’s retail business which spans both the adviser and direct retail client segments, and a member of the Australian executive committee.

Robin has overseen the considerable growth in Vanguard’s retail business and the products and services offered to both direct investors and financial advisers. 

His responsibilities cover sales and marketing, client services, technical and research services, product development and management which includes Vanguard’s development of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).

Prior to joining Vanguard, Robin had a distinguished career in the media industry and was a leading financial services writer, commentator and editor for over 15 years. He continues to be the editor of Vanguard’s key client publications including his weekly Smart Investing column with over 50,000 readers.

Principal & General Counsel

Kathryn Watt joined Vanguard in 1999 and is responsible for the legal, compliance and audit management functions of the company as well as Legal and Compliance staff in our Singapore and Tokyo offices.

Kathryn is a member of Vanguard's Board and Executive Committee, and chairs the Proxy Oversight Group, a board subcommittee with responsibility for the voting policies for Vanguard's equities funds.

Principal, Institutional

Geoff Diamond is responsible for the development and implementation of Vanguard Investments Australia’s institutional business strategy and a member of the Australian executive team.

Head of Retail Sales & Strategy

Terry Williams is Head of Retail Sales and Strategy. He is responsible for driving growth and development in the retail sales division at Vanguard Investments Australia and a member of the Australian Executive Team.

Terry joined Vanguard in November 2006, having previously consulted to Vanguard in the preparation of retail business strategy. Prior to this, Terry spent over 12 years working with Sealcorp Holdings Ltd (now ASGARD) in senior management and business development positions before leaving to jointly establish an ASX listed compnay, which specialised in the distribution of superannuation and personal investments.

National Sales Manager, Financial Advisers

Brett Mennie is National Sales Manager for the financial adviser distribution channel. He is responsible for the development and management of the financial adviser sales team and a member of the Australian executive team.

With over twenty years experience in financial services, Brett joined Vanguard Investments Australia in October 2007. Prior to this, Brett worked in senior management for AXA’s financial adviser network. As a qualified financial planner, Brett has also managed his own business, and previously held a senior management role with Perpetual Investments and sales and distribution roles with Colonial and Scottish Amicable.