Rest strengthens data and tax leadership with new hires

Rest Super has named two new hires to lead its data and tax functions, as the fund continues to focus on operational simplification, governance and member growth.

Irina Chinenova has joined the fund as general manager of data and insights, overseeing Rest's data analytics and intelligence capabilities across the business. She will report to chief technology and data officer Jermey Hubbard.

Chinenova brings more than two decades of experience in analytics and digital transformation, including senior leadership roles at Optus and Woolworths Group, where she led data analytics teams focused on customer and product insights.

Rest said the appointment reflects growing emphasis across the superannuation sector on using data to improve member engagement, personalisation and operational efficiency, particularly as funds invest more heavily in digital capabilities.

At the same time, the fund has appointed Abbey Pearce as general manager of tax. Pearce will oversee Rest's tax governance and compliance framework and report to chief financial officer John O'Sullivan.

Peace joins from Cbus Super, where she served as head of group tax. She previously held a director role in the superannuation tax practice at KPMG, advising super funds, sovereign wealth funds and investment managers on tax and regulatory matters.

The appointments come as large super funds continue to expand internal capability across technology, governance and regulatory compliance amid increasing scrutiny and operational complexity.

The hires reflect broader industry trends as super trends as super funds strengthen specialist capabilities in areas such as data governance, cyber security, regulatory compliance and member analytics. As funds scale and face increasing expectations around personalisation, transparency and operational resilience, executive appointments across technology and finance functions are becoming a larger strategic focus.