Smartgroup Corporation Ltd. announced the appointment of Scott Wharton as Managing Director, effective 17 July 2023. Mr. Whartons appointment follows the announcement on 23 February this year that the current Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tim Looi, had advised the Board of his intention to retire. The Board immediately commenced a search for a replacement, engaging an international executive search firm to support the process.

Smartgroup will benefit from Mr. Whartons extensive experience in various senior leadership, transformation and operational roles within large ASX-listed and financial services companies including The Star Sydney, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Citigroup. Mr. Looi will continue to work with the Board and management team until Mr. Wharton commences, and will work with Mr. Wharton to ensure a smooth and seamless handover of leadership. The Board again wish to thank Mr. Looi for his dedication to the role and his service to the company over the past 14 years.

Mr. Wharton's career spans over 20 years in financial services across Australia, Asia, and the United States. He has a strong track record in leading and transforming organizations through performance improvement, digital strategy, technology and cultural change. Over the past year Mr. Wharton has been CEO of The Star Sydney, focussed on stabilising the business.

Prior to this role he was a Group Executive and member of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Executive Leadership team. In this role he led efforts critical to making CBA a Simpler, Better Bank. This included the successful delivery of the Remedial Action Plan, in response to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority's Inquiry into governance, culture, and accountability in 2018, delivering the CBA's multi-year productivity effort, and the establishment of the CBA talent centre in India.

Mr. Wharton has also held senior management positions with Citigroup in Hong Kong and New York, where he was a Managing Director and a member of the Operations & Technology Global Operating Committee. Mr. Wharton is a Fellow and Adjunct Professor (Industry) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), where he is also a member of the Vice Chancellor's Industry Advisory Board. In May 2022, he was appointed as the Co-Chairman of Supply Nation (the Australian supplier diversity council) and is also an Ambassador of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.

Mr. Wharton holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Sydney, a Bachelor of Laws from UTS, an Executive MBA from INSEAD and an Executive MBA from Tsinghua University (Beijing).