The Board of the Stockbrokers and Investment Advisers Association (SIAA) is delighted to announce the appointment of Maria Lykouras as the new CEO, effective from Monday 1 December 2025.
SIAA Chair and Director, Morgans Financial, Hamish Dee said Maria was chosen after a competitive selection process.
“Maria is an outstanding choice, bringing extensive experience across wealth management, financial markets, the regulatory environment, operations, and risk and compliance,” he said.
Ms Lykouras was the first female CEO of JBWere. Prior to that she held executive roles at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Commonwealth Private leading their Advice business and previously running their Operations and Risk as well as Investment & Advisory Services. At JBWere, as well as outperforming strategic and financial benchmarks, she also designed and released the whitepaper on Women and Wealth which is now a reference for the industry about the importance of supporting women in managing their wealth as well as attracting women to the role of adviser. Maria was also the driver of a redesign and delivery of client events and the marketing approach.
“Maria is dynamic and passionate about the future of wealth management and capital markets,” said Mr Dee. “She has over 25 years’ experience in the sector and a track record of delivering continuous improvement and fostering a culture of inclusion where every individual feels valued.”
“She has longstanding, existing relationships with a wide range of our members and an in-depth understanding of the transformational changes they are facing in technology, investor demographics, market structure and regulation,” he noted. “Maria has great strengths in stakeholder engagement and will be a powerful voice for members as they navigate ongoing changes in the sector.”
“This appointment marks an exciting new chapter for SIAA and the Board is looking forward to working with Maria to ensure the Association continues to deliver on its mission to support and promote the value of the stockbroking and investment advice industry to serve the interests of Australian investors,” Mr Dee said.
Commenting on the appointment, Ms Lykouras said she was excited to be taking on the role. “I am looking forward to bringing my experiences and capabilities in leading wealth businesses to this incredible opportunity to be a voice for our industry; provide value to our broad member base; and hopefully be able to support our members in facing current industry challenges,” she said.
“Priorities when I begin will be to meet with members, many of whom I already know through my previous roles.”
Ms Lykouras noted that “SIAA is in great shape under Judith’s leadership and I’m looking forward to continuing her legacy whilst driving a forward-looking strategy for SIAA and our industry.”
There will be a handover period until the end of the year when Ms Lykouras works with the outgoing CEO Ms Fox to ensure a seamless transition.
Contact:
Hamish Dee, Chair
0466 655 234