ASX CEO Helen Lofthouse to step down in May
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The news: ASX Limited CEO Helen Lofthouse will step down from the bourse operator in May 2026 after more than three years in the top job.
The context: When she departs, Lofthouse would have spent 11 years at the ASX. This included stints as group executive markets and executive general manager derivatives and OTC markets.
The ASX said Lofthouse has “overseen a new transformation agenda and technology modernisation program, and with the CHESS project on firm footing, the Board and Ms Lofthouse have determined it is the right time for new leadership to take the Group into the next phase of transformation”.
She leaves as the ASX prepares to deliver its first phase of the CHESS project, which is targeting go-live in April 2026.
The predecessor program to replace the CHESS system with a blockchain based alternative was canned shortly after Lofthouse was appointed CEO in 2022.
During Lofthouse’s tenure as CEO, the ASX has been heavily scrutinised by regulators ASIC and the Reserve Bank of Australia amid concerns of governance failures and suffered a spate of trading outages due to long running tech issues.
In January, the ASX named the seven members of its Advisory Group on Corporate Governance as recommended by an independent review in October 2025.
A successor to Lofthouse has not yet been appointed. Executive search firm Korn Ferry has been engaged to find a replacement.
What they said: “Helen took the CEO role at an exceptionally challenging time for ASX. She took the difficult decision to stop the previous CHESS project and reset it, and she has driven a significant uplift in our technology investment and delivery, and risk focus,” ASX chair David Clarke said.
Lofthouse said: “Since becoming CEO we have reset the CHESS project, refreshed our strategy, expanded technology investment and delivered a series of technology and resilience upgrades.
“While the pace of change has been intense in recent years, I’m very proud of our achievements in modernising technology, enhancing customer engagement, developing Group capabilities, and shifting our culture.
“It has been a rewarding but demanding journey with enormous personal growth. Having reflected on what ASX needs for its next phase, together with the Board we have agreed that this is the right time for a new person to bring fresh energy to the work ahead."
The source: ASX
