Guild Group – September 2019

Transforming lives through digital innovation

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Changing the future for women and their families

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GUILD GROUP

For GuildSuper, digital transformation is about improving peoples’ lives, as Head of Strategy and Transformation Todd Johnson explains

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f you don’t have a customer-centric digital plan for your customers, then you’re going backwards,” affirms Todd Johnson,

Head of Strategy and Transformation at GuildSuper.

And while most companies will proudly boast of their digital transformation credentials, few can demonstrate the life-changing impact that those plans will have on their customers. GuildSuper can.

The Australian financial services company has rapidly become an innovative and disruptive force in the superannuation sphere, embarking on a digital journey that has seen it evolve from – in Johnson’s words – a “very traditional superannuation fund” to one that has developed a suite of digital tools. Specifically, GuildSuper’s digital journey has focused on the development of a product aimed at helping women have a better understanding of their own superannuation and, as a result, be more secure when they retire.

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Greg Everett, General Manager and Todd Johnson, Head of Strategy and Transformation w w w.gui l dgro up. com . a u

GUILD GROUP

Out of the entirety of superannuation funds in Australia, GuildSuper has the highest percentage of female members at 85%. In order to help facilitate this change, Johnson believes his firm’s strategy to engage with a higher proportion of women has driven significant growth. “Our story is one of innovation, with an overriding philosophy of solving problems for our customers. It began at a time when we were looking to grow the business and find ways in which we could significantly 06

improve our member outcomes.

“ If you don’t have a digital plan for your customers, then you’re going backwards” — Todd Johnson, Head of Strategy and Transformation, Guild Trustee Services

GuildSuper, the fund behind SUPERSUPER, wins Best Fund: Innovation 2019.

To be considered for the award, super funds need to invest in initiatives that make a real difference for their members

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE SITUATION WITH SUPER’ 07 Rather than embarking on a traditional

a really bleak future for many Australian

customer engagement journey to

women”, including that the highest

inform our product development, we

growing percentage of homelessness

approached things from a different

in Australia was women over the age

angle so that we can truly understand

of 45. “It’s linked to working life and

the problems that Australian women

broken work patterns,” explains

face from a wealth creation perspective,

Johnson. “If you work part time or earn

their emotional motivation with regards

a lower salary then your superannuation

to their finances and the wider

balance will be lower – at the moment

challenges presented to them.”

it’s highly geared towards men. This

Johnson admits that the process led

really got our whole team focused on

to some stark revelations, including

solving this problem and ensuring that

that Australian women will retire with

we serve women better.”

47% less superannuation than men.

Further research, he says, “painted

The problem, says Johnson, was helping women to grow their retirement w w w.gui l dgro up. com . a u

GUILD GROUP

Town Hall event for the Guild Group

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balance without asking them to lessen their living wage. “We knew that to make a positive difference, our solution needed to be completed different to the traditional ways that members can grow their super. It also needed to be simple, intuitive and relevant for our predominately female membership.”

The development of the new product, SUPERSUPER™, was a significant step in the company’s journey so far, centered around one key question: ‘What do our members really need from us?’

“ The difference in terms of the actual balances that our members see is significant” — Todd Johnson, Head of Strategy and Transformation, Guild Trustee Services

“We used this focus to find a gap in the market, to develop something that no one else is doing and create a digital solution that addresses something really important – it really is a world first,” Johnson notes. The concept behind SUPERSUPER™, is simple; through spending and normal routines, women can effectively put ‘free’ money into their superannuation account.

Additionally, as the contributions received through SUPERSUPER are non-concessional contributions, it also helps our members who are eligible to

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Todd Johnson With over a decade of experience as a as a financial services executive, Todd Johnson offers a unique blend of leadership, innovation and customer focus. He has served as a business strategy and operations executive in areas including innovation, customer experience, operations and technology. Todd joined Guild Trustee Services (GTS) in 2017 where he was tasked with creating a customer centric culture, that at its core, focussed on improving member outcomes. This led to the creation of SUPERSUPER, a program that improves members ability to grow their retirement balance without having to put their hand in their pockets. Prior to GTS Todd held roles at ESSSUPER as the Executive for Operations and Technology and MLC as the Head of Service for Wrap Platforms.

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GUILD GROUP

Guild Group’s #NailedIT employee recognition awards.

receive Government Co-contributions.

“In effect, the product manages this snowball effect of extra funds and the difference in terms of the actual balances that our members see is significant,” Johnson highlights.

As with any significant digital transformation, GuildSuper sought out partners to assist in the development of SUPERSUPER™. “We had a vision, and we knew what we wanted the customer experience to be. It really

“Our culture has changed from one that was quite traditional to one that is about doing something meaningful every time you come to work” — Todd Johnson, Head of Strategy and Transformation, Guild Trustee Services

was a case of approaching it by saying ‘let’s do what we do best and bring in

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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘HOW TO USE SUPERSUPER’

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GUILD GROUP

vendors that do what they do best’,” Johnson explains. “It was important to get these ideas to market as soon as we could, so we actively sought out the specialist skill sets we needed – we wanted the best in their chosen fields.

Some of the partners we worked with include Protiviti, which excels in planning and project leadership; AHC, which helped us with our calculator and app development; Folio1, a technical solutions provider; and Double Denim, a creative marketing 12

agency based in New Zealand.”

For Johnson, one of the positive outcomes of developing SUPERSUPER™ has been the impact the programme has had on the wider company culture at GuildSuper.

Employees have a new sense of vigour for their work, driven by the feeling they are helping others. Staff across the company were quick to form close bonds with the female personas that Guild created during product development – Elaine, Claire and Sandra. They began to say “I really feel like I’m coming in for a reason,” Johnson states. “Our culture has changed from one that was quite traditional to

Celebrating the launch of SUPERSUPER

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Fundraisers jump for joy

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GUILD GROUP

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘HOW TO GROW YOUR SUPER WITH SUPERSUPER?’ 14

one that is about doing something

as intelligent payment cards to evolve

meaningful every time you come to

the digital experience. “It all comes

work. In turn, that has shaped our new

back to solving the problems of our

vision: ‘Changing the Future for Women

customers. We want to help them with

and Their Families’. It’s bigger, it’s more

any challenges they face with their

aspirational and it genuinely represents

financial services to make their lives

what we want to do as a business.”

better,” Johnson concludes.

Looking ahead to the future, Johnson explains that further development is planned. The company has recently commenced its phase two programme, designed to “take the experience to another level”. This involves further application of new technologies such

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www.guildgroup.com.au