The board of ASFA will shortly commence recruitment for Ms Vamos's role, and have asked her to stay until at least 30 June "to ensure an orderly transition".

ASFA chair Michael Easson said Ms Vamos had contributed to the public policy debate on superannuation with "passion, drive and energy second to none".

"Drawing on her experience across various areas of financial services, Pauline has been a key advocate for broadening the superannuation discussion to include insurance, investment governance and advice and has been a strong proponent of industry self-regulation," Mr Easson said.

"The development of good public policy is one thing, but the ability to successfully advocate for the right retirement outcomes for Australians is quite another."

For her part, Ms Vamos said she was "very proud" of the significant contribution she had made to ASFA and superannuation policy generally.

"I am choosing to leave at a time when the leadership and management team are strong and highly skilled. Our people are ASFA's greatest asset and, for a small team, we are able to punch well above our weight," Ms Vamos said.

"It is this that has allowed us to enjoy the success we have achieved in recent years – particularly in influencing policy, lifting industry standards through our learning programs, delivering our renowned world-class annual conference and engaging with other pension systems globally.

"While this has been a hard decision, it has been made easier knowing that ASFA is in such good shape. I thank the board for their support and look forward to watching the organisation continue to grow in influence and success," she said.