Cath Bowtell has quietly assumed the role of matriarch of the sprawling Labor-union aligned industry superannuation family, which manages more than $1 trillion on behalf of 13 million Australians.

Bowtell is probably best known outside super as the Labor candidate who twice failed to win the inner-city seat of Melbourne against Greens leader Adam Bandt, first in 2010 and then in 2013. Also in 2010, she was defeated by Ged Kearney in a bid to become Australian Council of Trade Unions president.