The Stockbrokers and Investment Advisers Association (SIAA) has named Maria Lykouras as its next Chief Executive Officer, with her tenure beginning on 1 December 2025. The appointment follows what the organisation described as a competitive recruitment process led by the Board.
SIAA Chair and Morgans Financial Director, Hamish Dee, said Ms Lykouras stood out due to the breadth of her industry expertise. “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 previously served as the first female CEO of JBWere and has held senior leadership roles within the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. At Commonwealth Private, she led the Advice business and had earlier been responsible for Operations and Risk, as well as Investment & Advisory Services. During her time at JBWere, she exceeded strategic and financial benchmarks and also released the whitepaper Women and Wealth, described as an industry reference point on supporting women in managing their finances and encouraging more women to enter advisory roles. She also played a central role in reshaping the firm’s client events and marketing strategy.
“Maria is dynamic and passionate about the future of wealth management and capital markets,” Mr Dee said. “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.
Speaking on her appointment, Ms Lykouras said she was eager to begin. “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.”
Her early priorities will include engaging directly with members. “Priorities when I begin will be to meet with members, many of whom I already know through my previous roles.”
Ms Lykouras also acknowledged the work of outgoing CEO Judith Fox. She 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.”
A handover period will run until the end of the year to support a smooth transition.
