Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us today for our 2021 Annual General Meeting. My name is Peter Polson, and I am the Chair of your company, Challenger Limited, and the Chair of today's meeting. It is now 9:30 A.M. I'm advised by the company secretary that there is a quorum present, and I would like to declare this morning's meeting open. The minutes of the previous meeting of the shareholders of Challenger Limited, which was the annual general meeting held on the 29th of October, 2020, were approved by the board and signed by me as Chair of that meeting and are tabled today for the information of shareholders.
The meeting will be recorded, and the recording will be available to view shortly after the AGM. Before we commence the formal aspect of today's meeting, I would like to introduce the members of your board. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Richard Howes, who is joining the meeting from our Sydney office. Non-Executive Directors, John Green, Steven Gregg, Masahiko Kobayashi, Heather Smith, JoAnne Stephenson, Duncan West, and Melanie Willis. The Company Secretary is Linda Matthews.
We also have with us today, Tony Johnson and Graeme McKenzie, who are partners at Ernst & Young, the company's auditor. Also joining us are Challenger's Chief Financial Officer, Rachel Grimes, Challenger's Acting General Counsel, Aron Rattew, and Challenger's Head of Investor Relations, Stuart Kingham. There are three major components of this morning's meeting. Firstly, I would like to provide an update on your company and our performance over the past year. I will hand over to Richard, who will provide an overview of how we are positioning the business for long-term growth. We will then move to the formal items of the business for the meeting.
We will be opening the floor to questions on our business and the resolutions to be considered today. Voting on each resolution will be conducted by poll via the online meeting portal for this AGM, through which you are participating in the meeting currently. You will also hear from the directors who are seeking election and re-election today. I will explain the question and voting procedures when we get to the formal items of business. However, I understand that shareholders may not be able to stay for the entire meeting, so I will declare the poll open now. This means you can vote on all items of business at any time until I declare the poll closed at the end of the meeting. The board recommends that shareholders vote in favor of all items of business.
Due to the proxy votes received prior to the annual general meeting in respect of item of business number three, relating to the remuneration report, I would like to advise that the contingent resolution at item of business number four will not be required to be put to the shareholder vote at this meeting. Further details of the items are set out in the notice of meeting. As this is a virtual AGM, I want to take a moment to note that technical difficulties may arise during the course of the meeting. In the event of a technical issue, we ask for your patience while we work to address the issue as quickly as we can.
If a technical issue results in my being unable to continue to chair today's meeting for a period of time, Duncan West is appointed chair in my place and will continue with the meeting until the technical issues are resolved. If you experience any difficulties with the online platform, the helpline number is displayed at the top of your screens. Well, once again, good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Challenger's 2021 AGM. In a year marked by COVID-19, 2021 has undoubtedly been tough and trying for many Australians, our industry and the wider economy, and it is heartening to see states across the country implement roadmaps out of this pandemic.
Amidst the uncertainty of the past year, I'm proud of the way our management and people continue to deliver on our purpose and focus on our customers and shareholders. While restrictions are beginning to ease, given the nature of the pandemic, as well as advice, we are holding today's meeting online with your board and management joining from different locations. Every effort has been made to ensure today's meeting is as interactive as possible, including the opportunity for shareholders to ask questions and vote online.
The board and I look forward to taking your questions later in the meeting. In 2021 financial year, we took decisive action to position our business for the future, executing our strategy to diversify revenue and repositioning our investment portfolio while strengthening our balance sheet and operating settings. We maintained momentum across the business and achieved record assets under management of AUD 110 billion, an increase of 29% that was driven by strong contributions from both the Funds Management and Life businesses.
As part of our strategy to diversify revenue, we focused on broadening our client base, distribution channels, and product offering. Our financial results demonstrate that this approach is working. The Life business delivered record sales of AUD 7 billion, and in Funds Management, net flows reached AUD 16 billion. Normalized net profit before tax was within our guidance range at AUD 396 million, and reflected our proactive decision to reposition the investment portfolio to more defensive settings during the early stages of the pandemic, including holding higher levels of cash. Throughout the 2021 financial year, we gradually deployed this balance into higher returning assets and expect to see the full benefits of this approach during 2022. We also recorded a statutory net profit after tax of AUD 592 million, which included positive investment experience of AUD 319 million.
This result demonstrates that our statutory profit can vary significantly from year to year due to unrealized movements in our investment portfolio. We believe that normalized profit provides a more meaningful measure for our underlying performance, even when statutory profit is higher, such as it was last year. Our capital settings remain robust and sustainable. At the 30th of June 2021, we held AUD 1.6 billion in excess regulatory capital. We also enhanced our risk settings, which demonstrates our commitment to protecting our strong brand and customer franchise, and ensures that the business continues to have flexibility to respond to market movements. With the deployment of cash and liquids now complete, we're well-positioned to move back in line with our sustainable return on equity target of the RBA cash rate plus 12% per annum.
Reflecting confidence in our business, the board recommended paying dividends in 2021, declaring fully franked dividends of AUD 0.20 per share. Our 2021 performance underscores the strength of our business, which is well-positioned for significant growth and reinforces the confidence and optimism we have in Challenger's future. As a board, we recognize the importance of balancing the requirements of today's business with maintaining a longer-term outlook, carefully considering risks and opportunities. To do this, we are committed to ensuring we have the right people and practices to maintain strong corporate governance. Over the past four years, we have undertaken an effective program of board renewal, which continued this year. Your board now has a healthy average of six years, bringing a balance of stability and new perspectives together with a powerful mix of skills, experience, and industry knowledge.
While our backgrounds and styles are diverse, we share a common commitment to acting in the best interests of our shareholders, customers, employees, and the wider community. In January, we welcomed Dr. Heather Smith to the board, who will stand for election today. Dr. Smith has a strong economic and capital markets background and over 20 years experience in senior government roles, including as Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation, and Science. She brings valuable insights and significant expertise that will further strengthen our board. John Green, Duncan West, and Melanie Willis will stand for re-election today. All of whom are valued members of our board and bring diverse skills, demonstrated commitment, and capabilities. At the 2019 AGM, I announced that this would be my final term on the Challenger board.
With the talented group of directors we have in place, I'm confident that we are well-positioned to manage a smooth and orderly transition over the next year. This process will ensure strong continuity as the board continues to oversee Challenger's growth strategy and maintain our robust approach to corporate governance and risk management. Turning to executive remuneration. Over the course of this year, we engaged extensively with shareholders and have taken action in response to their concerns regarding our 2020 remuneration approach. We have made a number of changes to our reward framework and communications, ensuring that there is a clearer link between pay and business performance, as well as providing greater transparency on the board's decision-making process. Reflecting on these changes, key reward decisions in 2021 included.
Firstly, short-term incentive outcomes for executives ranged between 56% and 98% of target, with the Group CEO receiving an outcome that was 56% of target. A 30% downward modifier was applied to all executives' short-term incentives to reflect the continued impact of the pandemic-driven events of 2020 on our business. Finally, for the third consecutive year, no long-term incentives vested in 2021, demonstrating the strong alignment between executive reward and shareholder outcomes. Pleasingly, all proxy firms have recommended that shareholders vote in favor of our remuneration report, and it has been strongly supported by shareholders. As we look to 2022 and beyond, we will continue to actively engage with shareholders on our remuneration approach, with the objective of ensuring that executive incentives are closely aligned with shareholder outcomes and support us to attract and retain top talent. Turning to sustainability.
Sustainability continues to be a significant focus for Challenger and our board. It is important for the long-term success of our business and reflects the responsibility we have to shareholders, customers, employees, and the community more broadly. In 2021, we continued to embed sustainability across Challenger through our business practices, culture, and risk framework. Our refreshed sustainability strategy, which addresses our most material environmental, social, and governance opportunities, known in the community as ESG, now also includes a focus on responsible investment, demonstrating our strengthened effort in this area. We have further improved our ESG governance through the establishment of a business-wide ESG steering committee, which monitors key risks and opportunities, the effectiveness of mitigating activities, and provides recommendations to the board.
As a business, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and have made considerable progress in implementing our inclusion and diversity strategy, including an ongoing focus and commitment to gender equality. Strongly aligned to our purpose, this year, we launched a major research report examining the employment challenges of workers over 50 years old, a product of our community partnership with COTA NSW. These findings have informed a pilot program to address barriers to employment for older workers that will shortly be introduced at Challenger with the intention that the program will then be made available for businesses and organizations across Australia.
At Challenger, we have a highly capable management team whose expertise and commitment has been instrumental in navigating the challenges which have confronted the business in recent years and in delivering strong business outcomes during 2021. The team has the right mix of longer tenure and newer members who provide continuity and fresh perspectives, as well as a wide range of skills and experience to deliver Challenger's strategy and growth ambitions.
I'm also very proud of the wider team we have at Challenger. It has heartened me, yet not surprising, that our people have remained so dedicated to supporting our customers in an uncertain external environment. Their commitment reflects the strong sense of purpose and values-based culture that is embedded across our business, which has been driven by our CEO, Richard Howes. Richard has been integral to the building of Challenger into the business it is today, the clear leader in retirement incomes and one of the fastest-growing and largest active fund managers in Australia. After a long and distinguished career, Richard has decided to retire in March next year.
Richard has played a key role in driving Challenger's growth, and under his leadership, the business is now in a very strong position. We have a compelling growth strategy with a clear plan to capture the opportunities created by the structural tailwinds that benefit our business. Our Life and Funds Management businesses are now leaders in their fields, and both delivered record growth in 2021. The recent acquisition of MyLife MyFinance is an important part of our strategy and reflects our vision to strengthen our business by providing retirees and pre-retirees with a broader range of solutions to help them achieve financial security for a better retirement. As well as driving Challenger's growth, Richard and the team have shepherded the business through extraordinary headwinds and market disruption with clarity of thought and determination.
Richard has made a significant contribution over many years at Challenger. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank him for his strong leadership, integrity, and absolute commitment to our purpose. As we look to the future, Challenger is well-positioned for significant growth. Our business is in a strong position, and we have exciting opportunities ahead. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to this year's outcomes. In particular, thank you to our shareholders for your ongoing support to deliver on your behalf. I would now like to hand over to Richard for his address.
Thanks, Peter. Thanks for those kind words, and good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us to this year's online AGM. At a time where there are encouraging signs of a recovery from the pandemic across both the economy and across our community. Despite the uncertain environment in 2021, Challenger delivered a strong performance. We made significant progress in executing on our clear and compelling strategy, diversified our revenue streams, and strengthened our capital and operating settings. Challenger's role in providing customers with financial security for a better retirement is arguably more important than ever, and I have great confidence in our business's future, which is now well-positioned for growth.
I'm also, however, acutely aware that it's been a difficult year for many, and I'm proud of the actions we've taken to support our customers and our employees while maintaining business continuity and delivering on our strategy. Through each lockdown, our team has moved quickly to ensure our customers did not experience any disruption to the high-quality service we provide. Pleasingly, we continue to receive positive customer feedback about how much they value the peace of mind their secure retirement incomes provide during these uncertain times.
None of this would be possible without our motivated and committed team. I wanna thank them for their dedication and flexibility as we've adapted to new ways of working. Looking after the health, safety, and well-being of our people and the community continues to be a priority, and we have strongly encouraged our team to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Pleasingly, in a recent survey, 82% of employees confirmed they're fully vaccinated, and we're making plans to return to the office while continuing to support the hybrid working model that has worked so successfully for us over the past 18 months.
Over the past two decades, Challenger has transformed into a very special company, a purpose-led, strong, and sustainable business. With the business now primed for its next phase of growth, it feels like the right time to hand over the reins to Challenger's next leader. As Peter explained, I'll retire in March next year. Reflecting on my time at Challenger, I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved. The business is unrecognizable today compared to the Challenger of 2003. We've emerged strongly from two significant financial crises following the global financial crisis and the pandemic. We've single-handedly revived the lifetime annuity market in Australia, and we now hold market-leading positions across our business. Challenger Life is Australia's leading provider of secure retirement income, and our Funds Management business is one of the fastest-growing active fund managers in the country.
In recent years, we've also reframed and diversified our distribution model while continuing to innovate and broaden our product offering. In the Life business, we've successfully and significantly developed our institutional client base while refocusing the retail channel to build relationships with independent financial advisors following changes in the wealth management industry. Our partnership with the Japanese annuity provider, MS Primary, which provides access to the important Japanese foreign currency annuities market, has grown significantly and now makes a strong contribution to life sales. With the recent acquisition of the MyLife MyFinance Bank, we have further expanded the ways in which we will reach our customers, as well as providing a broader range of solutions to help them both pre-retirement and in retirement in achieving financial security for a better retirement.
Importantly, we now have strong and sustainable capital settings and a robust risk culture embedded right across our business. Underpinning all of this is our diverse and talented team who have helped drive our inclusive and supportive culture and who are inspired by our purpose in a way that makes Challenger so unique. In 2021, we took significant action to set our business up for growth. Our diversification strategy delivered record sales growth across both our Life and Funds Management businesses and provides a very strong base for the future. Importantly, we also continue to serve our purpose of providing customers with financial security for a better retirement, broadening and evolving our product offering across annuities and term deposits, as well as across fund management products that help customers accumulate wealth for retirement.
Providing customers with contemporary products is key, and we continue to drive innovation across our Life offering. Earlier this month, we announced our new market-linked annuity option within our award-winning Liquid Lifetime Annuity. This new option for retirees responds to the demand from clients and from their advisors who seek the benefits of lifetime income while maintaining exposure to investment markets. It complements our existing lifetime annuity offering that provides a regular guaranteed income payments for life regardless of how investment markets perform. Our newly acquired bank provides a highly scalable digital platform to provide customers with guaranteed term deposits, which are an important component of many retirees and pre-retirees portfolios. It also provides us with the capability to develop more innovative solutions for retirees in the future.
Our term deposits are now available on the most widely used bank-specific comparator sites, including Mozo and Canstar, which broadens our customer access. The bank and its product offering will fully transition to the Challenger brand in the second half of this financial year. In Funds Management, we made great progress on expanding our range of contemporary products and services. In financial year 2021, Fidante Partners welcomed emerging markets fund manager OX Capital to its stable, as well as welcomed new partnerships with Impax Asset Management, Proterra Investment Partners, and Nomura Asset Management in Japan. The business has also expanded offshore, opening a new office in Singapore that provides a distribution hub to access investors across Asia. While the benefits of our investment in Japan and in the United Kingdom are starting to be realized.
CIP Asset Management reaffirmed its position as a market leader in domestic private lending with the launch of a range of new funds for sophisticated and institutional investors. Our business is well-positioned for the future with our refreshed strategy, providing a clear and compelling plan to build on our strong foundations and capture growth from the tailwinds that continue to drive our business forward. The strategy details our ambition across our key stakeholder groups and includes a clear customer vision to provide one in five Australian retirees with improved financial outcomes as consumers of Challenger's products by the end of the decade. We will continue to advocate for policy reform to improve financial security for all Australian retirees. The progress of the Retirement Income Covenant is important. The covenant represents a very important reform of our retirement savings system.
Currently, in draft legislation, the covenant will significantly extend the existing obligations of superannuation fund trustees and ensure that the system works as well for Australians in retirement as it currently does during accumulation. Not only is this something I'm extremely passionate about, but as Australia's leading retirement income brand, this reform presents a real opportunity for Challenger, and we're well-positioned as the covenant comes into effect next year. For our shareholders, our new strategy illustrates how we will leverage the combined capabilities of the group to build sustainable long-term value and compelling returns. Finally, for our people, Challenger's most valuable asset, we have a highly motivated, diverse, and capable team who are committed to fulfilling our purpose. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we maintain high engagement reflected in our employee engagement score of 85%.
Preserving and building on our great culture and capability remains a key focus for the business. Looking ahead, I'm very optimistic about Challenger's future. Following a period of significant disruption, our business has showed its resilience and is in great shape. We've had a great start to 2022. Our recent first quarter trading update demonstrated the strong momentum across the business, driven by our strategy to diversify our distribution channels and expand our retirement offering. Group assets under management were up 3% to AUD 113 billion.
Record sales contributed to a 3.4% increase in life guaranteed income business, while strong net inflows drove continuing standout performance in our funds management business. In our new bank, which is a key pillar of our growth strategy, early signs reinforced the significant role that Challenger will play in supporting customers as they prepare for and in retirement. We also expect strong profit growth this year. In FY 2022, we're targeting normalized net profit before tax within the range AUD 430 million-AUD 480 million.
Achieving the midpoint of this range would see us meet our normalized ROE target and see us deliver earnings growth of 15%. We remain confident that we can achieve this in FY 2022, even in the tight investment environment that we face. Finally, reflecting our confidence in the business, we'll continue to target a dividend payout ratio of between 45% and 50% normalized net profit after tax. I'd like to finish by sharing with you an extract of a letter that I received from a customer fairly recently. This customer explained in the letter, "I've been a farmer for most of my life.
The work was long and hard, and profits small, but life itself was good. In my 73rd year, I retired, and I was able to add to my few investments. One of these additions was an annuity, and it proved to be one of my better ones." He was 97 when he wrote me this letter, and it was clear the annuity gave him significant peace of mind. The letter also acknowledged what we take on, what Challenger takes on in order to provide this peace of mind. It was dated 16th July 2020, and so it was in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 market shock. It read, "Seemingly you have your dry seasons too, like the farmer. But it is worth it, I think.
We earn a return to this risk, and through the peace of mind we provide, we build lasting franchise value for Challenger's shareholders." You know, this letter and its context speaks to how important our purpose to provide financial security for retirement really is. The authenticity with which we pursue this purpose and how deeply it underpins our culture is what makes Challenger so unique, and it's one of the things about which I'm most proud. It's been a real honor and a privilege to lead Challenger and to have played a role in building the company to what it is today over the last two decades. I'd really like to thank the leadership team and the entire Challenger team for their dedication to and their belief in our purpose and for their energy in driving our strategy forward.
I'd also like to thank Peter and the board for their counsel and support over the years. I will always be a great supporter of this company and of its purpose. I'll continue to be a shareholder for many years to come, and I'll be a policyholder for the rest of my life. Challenger has an exciting and important role to play as the retirement system evolves to support better retirement outcome, and I look forward to our company's continued success. Thank you.
Thank you, Richard. I will now explain the procedure for asking questions during the meeting. You can submit questions at any time, and you do not need to wait until the relevant item of business. We encourage you to submit your questions as soon as possible. After detailing all of the items of business to be considered at today's meeting, we will answer all questions received from shareholders. To ask a question, shareholders and appointed proxies can submit questions either in writing or orally. To submit a question in writing, shareholders and proxies should, one, tap the messaging icon on your screen. Two, type your question in the box at the top of the screen. And three, click the send icon when you have finished typing your question. You will receive a confirmation when your question has been sent.
To ask a question orally, shareholders and proxies should: one, pause the broadcast; two, click on the link under the words Asking Audio Questions; and three, when the new page opens, you should enter the requested details and click the Submit Request icon. Please keep your questions to the relevant resolutions being considered today, and please ensure that your questions are relevant to the business of this meeting. Questions sent via the online meeting platform will be moderated to avoid repetition. If questions are lengthy, we may need to summarize them in the interest of time.
All shareholders and proxy holders entitled to vote and who have logged into the online meeting should see the homepage on their screens. The homepage displays the name of the meeting and your name. To view the webcast, tap the Broadcast arrow on your screen and press Play. You can switch between screens by using the up and down arrow on each screen. Once voting begins, your voting options will appear on the screen.
To vote for, tap For. To vote against, tap Against. Or Abstain, and tap Abstain. Your selection will be highlighted once the vote has been cast. If you change your mind, simply select a new option by tapping any of For, Against, or Abstain. Your original vote will then be canceled and your new selection will be counted. As noted earlier, voting today will be conducted by way of a poll on all items of business.
Voting is now open and will close towards the end of the meeting. I will give you a warning before I close the voting, and results of all items of business will be notified to the ASX as soon as practicable after today's meeting. I would now like to turn to the formal items of business for this meeting. The notice of meeting and accompanying explanatory notes have been circulated to shareholders and propose to take them as read.
The items of business are shown on your screen. As I mentioned earlier, we have Tony Johnson from our external auditor, Ernst & Young, present at today's meeting. He will be able to answer any questions relating to the conduct of the audit, preparation and content of the auditor's report, and accounting policies adopted by the company in preparation of the financial statements. Ernst & Young did not receive any written questions from shareholders prior to the meeting. Where undirected proxies have been given in favor of the chair for a resolution, I will vote those proxies in favor of the resolution, as was indicated in the notice convening this meeting.
Well, let us proceed with the items under consideration. Item number one. The first item of business is the consideration of the financial report, directors' report, and independent auditor's report for Challenger and its controlled entities, Challenger Group, for the financial year, 30th of June 2021. While there is no resolution for this item, it is an opportunity for shareholders to ask questions, including of our auditor, Tony Johnson from Ernst & Young, in respect of the conduct of the audit. I will now respond to any questions or comments we have received this morning on this item. Moderator, are there any questions for this item?
Yes, Chairman. We have one question from Samsara Superannuation Fund in relation to the financial performance of the company. The question is as follows: Life sales increased by 34%, but normalized cash operating earnings fell by 20% due to a sharp decline in credit spreads over the year, not fully reflected in pricing. Has the situation with regard to credit spreads improved? Thank you.
Thanks, Stu. Actually, I will turn this over to Richard. Richard, if you could respond to this item, you would give an updated version.
Thank you, Peter. Thank you for what I think is a very well-framed question. There's a couple of points I'd make in response to it. The first is to say that as a general statement, our profit will follow book growth. To the extent that we're successful in growing the book, one would expect profit growth to follow that, and the transmission mechanism is not necessarily immediate. The second thing I'd say is that investment conditions do continue to remain tight. Credit spreads continue to remain tight. That said, our ROE target, which is to achieve returns on equity at 12% above the RBA cash rate, is deliverable in the current environment, and we expect to be able to deliver on that target at the midpoint of the guidance range we've provided.
Now, a couple of things to notice. There is that there's in that target a linkage to interest rates. To the extent that current market expectations associated with inflation see the cash rate come up, then the ROE that we're able to deliver will rise with that cash rate. Also that because this target is deliverable in the current investment markets, should credit spreads normalize, then that would put us in a position to be able to exceed that target. Hopefully, that provides you with some useful context.
Thanks, Richard, for the fulsome response. Stu, any other questions?
Chairman, there are no further questions in relation to this item. Please proceed.
Thank you for the questions. We'll move now to the next item of business. Item two, re-election of directors. The resolution is that, and it is resolution 2A, the resolution is that Mr. Duncan West, who retires by rotation in accordance with clause 8.1E of the Constitution of Challenger, be re-elected as a director of Challenger. Duncan has been a non-executive director since September 2018, and is currently chair of our group audit committee and a member of the nomination committee and group risk committee. The board recommends that shareholders vote in favor of Duncan's re-election. I will now hand over to Duncan to speak briefly to you.
Thank you, Peter. Good morning, fellow shareholders. It's my pleasure to be able to speak with you today regarding my nomination for re-election to the board. I was appointed to Challenger's board in September 2018. I'm currently Chair of the Group Audit Committee and a member of the Group Risk Committee and the Nomination Committee. I currently also serve as a Non-Executive Director on the boards of Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia Limited and Suncorp Group Limited. During my executive career, I was the Chief Executive Officer of Vero Insurance and CGU Insurance and Executive General Manager of Insurance at MLC. In particular, I bring significant global experience in the financial services industry to the Challenger board.
Over the last three years, I've looked to apply this knowledge and expertise to assist, support and challenge management in the drive to enhance shareholder value. I strongly believe in the purpose of Challenger to provide our customers with financial security for a better retirement. I have seen firsthand how this really does drive the decisions made by the company to the benefit of all of our stakeholders. I believe that the strategy we have collectively developed and outlined in June this year does provide the platform for the future success of Challenger after a number of difficult years. With your support, I hope to be able to use the skills, knowledge and experience I've developed over many years to continue to help guide your company as it looks to execute this strategy. Thank you. I will now hand back to Peter.
Thanks, Duncan. I will now respond to any questions or comments we have received on this item. Moderator, are there any questions?
There are no questions in relation to this item, Chairman. Please proceed.
Thank you. The proxy results are shown on the screen. Congratulations, Duncan. Please cast your vote now. The next resolution, which is 2B. The resolution is that Melanie Willis, who retires by rotation in accordance with clause 8.1E of the Constitution of Challenger, be re-elected as a director of Challenger. Melanie has been a non-executive director since December 2017, and is currently Chair of the Group Risk Committee and a member of the Nomination Committee and Group Audit Committee. The board, with Melanie abstaining, recommends that shareholders vote in favor of Melanie's re-election. I will now hand over to Melanie to speak briefly to you.
Thank you, Peter. It's been a real pleasure and privilege to serve you on the board of Challenger since December 2017. As a non-executive director and chair of the group risk committee, I aim to bring the following skills to the Challenger board. A deep understanding of strategy and innovation, particularly as it relates to digital ecosystems and platforms, where technology is deployed as an enabler for transformational customer experience. Expertise in holistic risk management. I appreciate the value of understanding the opportunities and challenges of risk and the need for companies to deeply consider their strategic, operational, financial, and cultural risks, both ensuring risk accountability and the delivery of risk-adjusted returns. An investor and owner's mindset, having previously been a chief investment officer with expertise in capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and capital management.
As a values-based leader, I understand the commercial imperative for diversity and inclusion and the need to consider the perspective of all stakeholders to drive sustainable decision-making. I'm naturally curious, a continuous learner, and focused on developing a deep understanding of changing consumer behavior and how technology can enable better outcomes for customers and c ompanies. I look forward to continuing to work with the Challenger team to deliver on Challenger's purpose and support customers with a range of solutions as they prepare for and during retirement. Thank you very much for considering my re-election to the board of Challenger. I'll now hand back to Peter. Thank you.
Thanks, Melanie. Questions. Are there any questions, Stu?
Thank you, Chairman. There are no questions in relation to this item. Please proceed.
Thank you. The proxy results are on the screen. Please cast your vote now on this item if you haven't already done so. Congratulations, Melanie. We now move to item 2 C. The resolution is that Mr. John Green, who retires by rotation in accordance with Clause 8.1 E of the constitution of Challenger, be re-elected as a director of Challenger. John has been a non-executive director since December 2017, and is currently a member of the Nomination Committee, Group Remuneration Committee, Group Risk Committee and Group Audit Committees. The board recommends that shareholders vote in favor of John's re-election. I will now hand over to John, who will speak briefly to you.
Thank you, Peter, and good morning, fellow shareholders. It's a great pleasure to speak to my nomination for re-election to the board. I've been a Challenger director since December 2017, and as well as the committees that Peter mentioned, I'm a member of. I'm chairing the board of our new and strategically important banking business, MyLife MyFinance. My public company experience is over many years, both as a non-executive director and as an advisor to boards. Outside of Challenger, I'm deputy chair of the board of QBE Insurance Group, an ASX-listed property and casualty insurer that operates in many countries around the world.
I'm a non-executive director of the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre, which is funded by government and industry partners, including tech companies and universities, and its role is to fund projects that help build Australia's cybersecurity capability and deliver solutions to ensure the safety of Australians and Australian businesses online. In my executive career, I was an investment banker as an executive director of Macquarie, where I ran its financial institutions group. Before that, I was a lawyer as a partner at two major law firms now known as Ashurst and Herbert Smith Freehills, where I headed the national mergers and acquisitions group. The experience I bring to Challenger board includes a range of corporate, financial services, legal, technology issues in Australia and overseas.
I've been involved with many companies, large and small, Australian and foreign, that span across issues like succession, culture, risk, growth strategies, cybersecurity and capital management. I'm also an author, having recently re-released my fifth novel, and I'm co-founder of an award-winning independent book publisher, Pantera Press. Like my other board colleagues, I'm committed to helping Challenger achieve its vision to provide financial security for our customers for a better retirement and for creating shareholder wealth over time. If you choose to re-elect me, I will continue that commitment. Thank you. I'll now hand back to Peter.
Thanks, John. Stu, are there any questions on this resolution?
Thank you, Chairman. There are no questions in relation to this resolution. Please proceed.
Thank you, Stu. The proxy results are shown on the screen. Please cast your vote now on this item if you haven't already done so. Congratulations, John. We now move to item 2D. The resolution is that Dr. Heather Smith, who retires in accordance with clause 8.1D of the Constitution of Challenger, is elected as a director of Challenger. Heather has been a non-executive director since January 2021, and is currently a member of the Nomination Committee, Group Audit Committee and Group Risk Committee. The board recommends that shareholders vote in favor of Heather's election. I will now hand over to Heather, who will speak briefly to you.
Thank you, Peter. Good morning, everyone. It is my pleasure to speak with you today regarding my nomination for election as a non-executive director to the board. As Peter said, I was appointed to Challenger's board in January 2021, and am currently a member of the Group Audit Committee, the Group Risk Committee, and the Nomination Committee. I joined the board at a time of an important strategic transformation for Challenger. During this time, I have seen firsthand the commitment and dedication of management and employees to turn adversity into an opportunity to position our company for future growth. I see it as a privilege to serve on the board of such a long-standing Australian company with such clarity and dedication of purpose to deliver financial security for Australians for a better retirement.
I have over 20 years' experience in government, including leading two departments of state covering industry, innovation, science, and communications. Before that, I served as Deputy Head of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Foreign Affairs and Trade, and what is now the Office of National Intelligence. My early career was in the Reserve Bank and the Australian Treasury, and I have deep experience as a member of public sector boards. I bring strategic foresight, extensive international experience, and knowledge of public policy in the economic, foreign, strategic, and national security domains to the Challenger board.
My expertise in governance and financial discipline, along with this background, gives a set of skills that I believe can make a valuable contribution to the board and to the success of Challenger. Together with my fellow directors, I am committed to delivering sustainable value to you, our shareholders. Thank you for your time. I will now hand back to Peter.
Thanks, Heather. Stu, are there any questions on this resolution?
Thank you, Chairman. There are no questions in relation to this resolution. Please proceed.
Thank you. The proxy results are now shown on the screen. Please cast your vote now on this item if you haven't already done so. Congratulations, Heather. We will now move to the next item of today's agenda, item three. Item three relates to the remuneration report, which is contained in the 2021 annual report. The resolution is that the remuneration report for Challenger for the financial year ended 30th of June 2021 be adopted. The board recommends that shareholders vote in favor of this item. I will now respond to any questions or comments that may have been received. Stu, are there any questions on this item?
Thank you, Chairman. There are no questions received in relation to this item. Please proceed.
Oh, thank you. The proxy results are being shown on the screen. Please cast your vote now on this item if you haven't already done so. Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the end of today's agenda, so I will now ask for any final questions. [audio distortion] Are there any final questions?
Thank you, Chairman. We have a question from Elizabeth Fish as monitor representing the Australian Shareholders' Association. Elizabeth's question is in relation to political donations. Did Challenger make any political donations in the 2021 financial year? Thank you.
To the best of my knowledge, and I'll turn to Richard to correct me or Rachel Grimes, our CFO, but to the best of my knowledge, we didn't make any political donations. Could you confirm that, Richard?
Yes. Thanks, Peter. Yes, that is correct. We did not make any political donations over the year. In fact, Challenger's group political donations policy prohibits the company from doing so. Thanks.
Thanks, Richard. Thanks for reminding me of that. All right. Are there any more questions, Stu, or are we done?
There are no further questions received. You may proceed, Chairman.
Thanks, Stu. All right. Ladies and gentlemen, we have now considered all of the items of business for this meeting. I will now declare the poll closed for all three items of business. The results of the polls will, for each item of business, be notified to the ASX as soon as practicable after today's meeting. Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the formal business of the meeting. Thank you very much indeed for joining us today and for your participation and feedback. I regret that the board and management are unable to meet with shareholders in person today, and the board looks forward to meeting with shareholders again in our 2022 AGM. I now close the meeting, and thank you for your attendance.