PNG's Nambawan Super Appoints New CEO

Papua New Guinea's Nambawan Super Limited has announced the appointment of Lachlan Baird as its incoming Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2026, following an extensive executive search in Papua New Guinea and across the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr Baird will succeed Paul Sayer, who will step down after eight years at the helm of the country’s largest superannuation fund. Mr Sayer will continue to work closely with the incoming CEO to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

 PNG's Nambawan Super Appoints New CEO

During his tenure, Mr Sayer oversaw a period of significant growth and transformation at Nambawan Super. Since joining the Fund in 2017, he led the doubling of Funds Under Management from K6 billion to more than K12 billion by 2025.

Major investment milestones achieved under his leadership included the opening of OPH, development of Rangeview and Moki Business Park, the full acquisition of Paradise Foods Limited, and continued progress on key projects such as the repossession of the 9-Mile land.

Operational improvements were also a strong focus, with enhancements to the Fund’s mobile application, website, call centre and case management systems. Mr Sayer also strengthened core operations through branch relocation and expansion, remote working arrangements, improved business continuity frameworks and the maintenance of a consistently low management expense ratio.

Mr Sayer was also credited for championing member-focused initiatives, including the rollout of the Financial Literacy Program and policy advocacy on behalf of members. He steered the Fund through major challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, economic shocks, Black Wednesday and the largest and most peaceful eviction in the country at Nambawan Super’s 9-Mile land.

The Trustee Board expressed its deep appreciation to Mr Sayer for his leadership, vision and commitment to putting members first throughout his eight-year service.

Incoming CEO Lachlan Baird brings more than 30 years of experience in the superannuation, investment and financial services sectors. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Prime Super in Australia, overseeing approximately AU$7 billion in assets.

During his time at Prime Super, Mr Baird led a strategic transformation that positioned the fund as a leading multi-industry superannuation provider, achieving six CANSTAR five-star quality ratings for its pension product and delivering top quartile investment returns across most offerings.

Trustee Board Chairman Richard Sinamoi said the Board was confident the new appointment would strengthen the Fund’s future direction.

“We extend our deepest appreciation to Paul Sayer for his many years of dedicated service and significant contributions to Nambawan Super,” Mr Sinamoi said. “As we move forward, we are pleased to welcome Lachlan Baird as our new Chief Executive Officer. His leadership experience and proven success in transforming superannuation organisations will be instrumental in delivering continued value to our members.”

Nambawan Super is a defined contribution fund approved under the Superannuation (General Provision) Act 2000 and is governed by the Board of Directors of Nambawan Super Limited as its corporate trustee. The Fund exists solely to invest contributions on behalf of its members for their retirement.