Deborah Gilshan

Deborah joined AustralianSuper in July 2023 to lead their work on ESG and investment stewardship across public and private markets in Europe. She has global experience in engaging with board directors, senior executives, regulators and investors gained through 25 years of experience in financial services. Prior to joining AustralianSuper, Deborah ran her own strategic advisory business, helping clients across the investment chain on ESG integration, investment stewardship and diversity. She also chaired the Vote Reporting Group for the UK Financial Conduct Authority and served on the Advisory Panel for the UK Financial Reporting Council. Previously, Deborah was an ESG Investment Director at Aberdeen Standard Investments and Head of Sustainable Ownership at Railpen, having started her career in responsible investment at the UK’s Co-operative Insurance Society. She initially worked in corporate tax at EY and read Mathematics & English at the University of Manchester. 

Deborah is the Founder of The 100% Club, a networking alliance dedicated to gender equality established in 2011. In November 2022, she released research to demonstrate the power of a gender based network, which was endorsed by the UK’s FTSE Women Leaders Review. Deborah is a 30% Club Ambassador, a Fellow of the UK Chartered Governance Institute and chairs ICGN’s Nomination Committee. She is the lead author of two reports: The Ethics of Diversity (2020) and Say on Pay: Six Years On – Lessons from the UK Experience (2009). Her work and opinions have featured in the Financial Times, Sky News, the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and other financial media. In December 2023, Deborah received a Fellowship from CFA UK for her outstanding contribution to the investment profession. She has also been recognised for her work on diversity and was named as one of the UK’s top 50 trailblazers in gender equity by We Are The City in March 2023.