Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, September 2025 — Melanie (Breakspear) Fitzgerald has taken on the role of Head of People Experience at Rest, where she will focus on fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace culture that aligns with the superannuation fund’s values and strategic priorities. In her new role, she will lead initiatives in organisational culture, employee engagement, recognition, diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I), and strengthening the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) to enhance the overall employee experience.
Prior to this, Melanie was the Principal Consultant and Coach at Mel Fitzgerald Consulting & Coaching Pty Ltd, where she leveraged her 25+ years of HR experience to advise on leadership, talent management, performance, reward, and culture transformation. As a qualified Wellness Coach, she also guided individuals in achieving their health and lifestyle goals.
Previously, she served as Global Head of Organisational Development and Reward at The George Institute for Global Health, shaping people strategies that enhanced leadership capability, engagement, and inclusion. She also spent over two years at Aware Super as Senior Manager, Organisational Development, where she designed and embedded organisation-wide people initiatives, including leadership, talent, and diversity programs.
Earlier in her career, Melanie founded and led PeopleLife Pty Ltd, consulting for organisations such as NSW Health, NSW Treasury, University of Technology Sydney, Woolworths Ltd, Orica Ltd, and JBS Australia. She also held senior roles with NSW Treasury, Woolworths Group, and Orica, where she drove HR transformation, equity and inclusion, and organisational effectiveness across regional and global mandates.
Melanie’s extensive career journey spans more than two decades across major organisations including AMP and Coca-Cola Amatil, where she advanced initiatives in HR strategy, remuneration, and change management. Her appointment reflects Rest’s commitment to advancing employee experience and culture as a foundation for sustainable growth.
Supporting millions of Australians since 1988, Rest is one of the nation’s largest superannuation funds, known for low fees and competitive long-term performance. Unlike shareholder-driven models, Rest returns profits to its members. Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Limited is the issuer of Rest products.
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