Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Register

3 September 2026

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

Why have Australian living standards 'fallen' and how do we fix it?

For the last few years there has been much talk of a 'cost-of-living' crisis in Australia and of 'falling living standards'. Lately this has flared up again with the pickup in inflation resulting in a renewed fall in real wages.

Will you run out of money in retirement?

Fear of running out has become a defining retirement anxiety. Why do some retirees die with substantial wealth while others deplete their nest egg? Evidence suggests the answer is more complicated than we think. 

Four options for an income investor’s next dollar

What if Australia’s golden age of dividends is ending? Rather than overhaul your portfolio, it may be worth considering where new capital can work harder. I discuss four income strategies and the trade-offs behind each.

The investment that sidesteps the new tax traps

Tax rules have changed, but many investors are still using yesterday’s strategies. Insurance bonds may offer advantages for those seeking greater control, tax efficiency and certainty about their wealth.

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 674 with weekend update

What begins as appetite, grows into excess and ultimately ends in spectacle. Millions of investors just discovered this the hard way.

  • 6 August 2026

Testamentary trusts have secured the CGT exemption

Treasury’s latest CGT reform draft delivers a win for testamentary trusts and deceased estates, exempting estate-derived gains from the 30% floor. However, questions on death and divorce rollovers remain unresolved.

Latest Updates

Retirement

Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income

Conventional wisdom encourages retirees to preserve superannuation. But if those likely to qualify for the Age Pension later in life spend a little more today, it may deliver higher lifetime income and a more stable retirement.

SMSF strategies

Who really loses from the SMSF borrowing ban?

The ban on borrowing to buy residential property inside a self-managed super fund was framed as closing a loophole for the wealthy. Yet ATO data suggests its effects may be felt more heavily on members with moderate balances.

Investment strategies

The investing rule that explains the next market crash

What if investment success depends less on picking the right assets and more on understanding the decisions of other investors? A principle borrowed from game theory offers a different perspective on markets.

Investment strategies

Gold: should you own the metal or the miners?

Gold is back in the headlines but investors may be asking the wrong question. Before deciding where prices are headed next, it's worth considering whether the investment you choose will deliver the outcome you're actually seeking.

Fixed interest

Global bonds markets are hiccupping

For decades, investors looked the other way as government debt ballooned. But a reckoning may be beginning. Bond markets are stirring and the consequences could reach far beyond markets into everyday life.

Property

Why investors are looking beyond traditional property sectors

A little-known corner of the property market may be quietly benefiting from powerful demographic and healthcare trends. Could this specialised sector offer investors something increasingly difficult to find: enduring demand?

Retirement

Retirement in reality - 6 months in

Is retirement really an identity crisis, or is something else at play? New insights challenge conventional thinking and reveal why some retirees struggle to fully embrace life after work.

Sponsors

Alliances

  • ASA-Logo-RGB-ActiveGreen-web.png

Site Map

About Firstlinks

© 2026 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.