Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Register

20 November 2025

Home / Noticeboard 2025

First Sentier Investors

  •   6 May 2025
  •      
  •   

First Sentier Investors appoints Ashley Conn as Chief Financial and Strategy Officer

Tuesday 6 May 2025: Leading global investment manager, First Sentier Investors, today announced the appointment of Ashley Conn as Chief Financial and Strategy Officer. Conn will join in late May. 

Conn who will be based in Sydney is a highly experienced Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with a strong background in finance and investment banking, bringing over 25 years of experience to First Sentier Investors.  

Conn joins First Sentier Investors from Super Retail Group Ltd, where he served as the Interim General Manager of Group Finance and prior to that, was the CFO at ASX listed McMillan Shakespeare Ltd and CSG Ltd. Conn's career in investment banking included roles at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, specialising in mergers and acquisitions as well as debt and equity capital raisings. He is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.  

Mark Steinberg, CEO of First Sentier Investors, commented, "We are delighted to welcome Ashley to our executive team. His extensive experience and strategic advisory roles will be invaluable as we continue to drive growth and deliver value to our stakeholders. Ashley's proven track record in finance and investment banking will be instrumental in guiding our organisation’s financial strategy and operations.” 

Conn's appointment is a significant step for First Sentier Investors as his leadership and expertise will play a crucial role in achieving the company's strategic priorities and fostering a culture of collaboration across the business. 

Conn succeeds Noel O’Brien who served as Interim Chief Financial and Strategy Officer following Suzanne Evans’ departure earlier this year. 

See full media release here

 

  •   6 May 2025
  •      
  •   
Firstlinks is sponsored by:
banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

The growing debt burden of retiring Australians

More Australians are retiring with larger mortgages and less super. This paper explores how unlocking housing wealth can help ease the nation’s growing retirement cashflow crunch.

Four best-ever charts for every adviser and investor

In any year since 1875, if you'd invested in the ASX, turned away and come back eight years later, your average return would be 120% with no negative periods. It's just one of the must-have stats that all investors should know.

LICs vs ETFs – which perform best?

With investor sentiment shifting and ETFs surging ahead, we pit Australia’s biggest LICs against their ETF rivals to see which delivers better returns over the short and long term. The results are revealing.

Family trusts: Are they still worth it?

Family trusts remain a core structure for wealth management, but rising ATO scrutiny and complex compliance raise questions about their ongoing value. Are the benefits still worth the administrative burden?

13 ways to save money on your tax - legally

Thoughtful tax planning is a cornerstone of successful investing. This highlights 13 legal ways that you can reduce tax, preserve capital, and enhance long-term wealth across super, property, and shares.

Our experts on Jim Chalmers' super tax backdown

Labor has caved to pressure on key parts of the Division 296 tax, though also added some important nuances. Here are six experts’ views on the changes and what they mean for you.        

Latest Updates

Retirement

Why it’s time to ditch the retirement journey

Retirement isn’t a clean financial arc. Income shocks, health costs and family pressures hit at random, exposing the limits of age-based planning and the myth of a predictable “retirement journey".

Financial planning

How much does it really cost to raise a child?

With fertility rates at a record low, many say young people aren’t having kids because they’re too expensive. Turns out, it’s not that simple and there are likely other factors at play.

Exchange traded products

Passive ETF investors may be in for a rude shock

Passive ETFs have become wildly popular just as markets, especially the US, reach extreme valuations. For long-term investors, these ETFs make sense, though if you're investing in them to chase performance, look out below.

Shares

Bank reporting season scorecard November 2025

The Big Four banks shrugged off doomsayers with their recent results, posting low loan losses, solid margins, and rising dividends. It underscores their resilience, but lofty valuations mean it’s time to be selective. 

Investment strategies

The real winners from the AI rush

AI is booming, but like the 19th-century gold rush, the real profits may go to those supplying the tools and energy, not the companies at the centre of the rush.

Economy

Why economic forecasts are rarely right (but we still need them)

Economic experts, including the RBA, get plenty of forecasts wrong, but that doesn't make such forecasts worthless. The key isn't to predict perfectly – it's to understand the range of possibilities and plan accordingly.

Strategy

13 reflections on wealth and philanthropy

Wealth keeps growing, yet few ask “how much is enough?” or what their kids truly need. After 23 years in philanthropy, I’ve seen how unexamined wealth can limit impact, and why Australia needs a stronger giving culture.

Sponsors

Alliances

Site Map

About Firstlinks

© 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.