ASX CEO Helen Lofthouse to Exit After CHESS Milestone

ASX ( (AU:ASX) ) has provided an update.

ASX Limited has announced that Managing Director and CEO Helen Lofthouse will step down in May 2026, ending an 11-year tenure at the group and four years in the top job. Her planned departure coincides with final preparations for the first phase of the revamped CHESS clearing and settlement system, which is targeting go-live in April 2026.

Lofthouse is credited by the board with halting and resetting the previous CHESS replacement, driving a step-up in technology investment, resilience and risk management, and reshaping strategy and culture. Chair David Clarke said the board views the completion of CHESS Release 1 as a natural inflection point for leadership change, and has launched a global CEO search with Korn Ferry that will assess both internal and external candidates.

The board stressed that the succession process will not slow execution of ASX’s strategic priorities or major technology programs, and that the executive leadership team remains accountable for key deliverables. The transition underscores ASX’s effort to reinforce its role as critical market infrastructure and steward of a “future-focused” exchange, with stakeholders watching closely for continuity in risk oversight and technology delivery.

The most recent analyst rating on (AU:ASX) stock is a Hold with a A$57.60 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on ASX stock, see the AU:ASX Stock Forecast page.

More about ASX

ASX Limited operates Australia’s primary securities exchange and related market infrastructure, providing listing, trading, clearing and settlement services for equities, derivatives and other financial products. The group focuses on maintaining reliable, resilient market systems and has been undertaking a major technology modernisation, including the multi-phase replacement of its CHESS post-trade platform.

Average Trading Volume: 652,654

Technical Sentiment Signal: Sell

Current Market Cap: A$10.94B

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