Home / Appointments / JANA promotes ‘central pillar’ Georgina Dudley to CEO role

The respected executive will take the reigns in December and lead what has become the largest investment advisory across Australia and New Zealand over the last 35 years.

JANA’s search for a successor to outgoing CEO Jim Lamborn is over, with the leading investment advisory firm announcing the appointment of current general manager of strategy and innovation, Georgina Dudley, to the post Wednesday morning.

Dudley, who has held key leadership roles at Jana over the past 14 years, will take the reigns on December 1, 2022.

She will take charge of an advisory group that has become the largest across Australia and New Zealand over its 35-year history, with more than $1 trillion in total funds under advice as of March this year.

The respected executive made a name for herself at JANA driving and implementing a range of technology-enabled resources and broader strategic initiatives over the last decade, which coincided with both Dudley’s time at the top and the group expanding its footprint in the pacific region.

In a statement announcing the appointment, JANA board chair Fiona Dunn called Dudley a “key member” of the firm’s leadership team and a “central pillar” of the company.

“A pioneer of our commitment to reduce risk and outperform over the long-term, Georgina was the optimum candidate to continue to grow and build JANA’s capabilities to serve our clients with our world-class asset consulting services,” she said.

Dudley, who was appointed after what the group called a “thorough and competitive” selection process, said she was “delighted” to be given the role.

“The business has grown from strength to strength in recent years to emerge as Australia’s largest investment adviser,” she commented.

“At JANA we are driven by knowing that the work we do has a long-lasting impact on society, communities and the lives of millions of people. I am very excited to lead JANA’s next chapter in continuing to grow our practice and drive the best possible outcomes for our clients.”

Outgoing CEO Lamborn, who will stay on at JANA as executive director and have an ongoing hand in commercial strategy, was praised by Dunn for driving growth at the firm during periods of market volatility and the pandemic.

“JANA has been privileged to have Jim lead the business for the past seven years,” she said. “It’s been a unique period of history, not only for JANA as an organisation but the wider world around us and Jim should be very proud of JANA’s achievements for clients during these tumultuous times.

“We fully support Jim’s decision to take a step back from the demanding position of CEO,” Dunn added.