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Opening Address from Rehan D'Almeida, CEO of FinTech Australia
Stage 1
Opening Address from The Hon Danny Pearson MP, Victorian Minister for Finance and Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs
Stage 1
Pre-Recorded Keynote by The Hon Dr Daniel Mulino MP, Assistant Treasurer & Minister for Financial Services
Stage 1
2030: Charting the Next 5 Years of the Australian Open Banking Ecosystem
Stage 2
In this panel we will discuss the insights from the 6th Edition of the Australian Open Banking Ecosystem Report and hear from ecosystem participants working in the CDR and discuss the 2030 vision for the Consumer Data Right and beyond.
Scaling Without Borders: Inside the Product and Investment Strategy Behind Australia’s Biggest Fintech
Stage 1
A candid fireside chat between Shannon Scott, SVP, Global Head of Product at Airwallex, and Michael Tolo, General Partner at Blackbird, exploring how Airwallex scaled from an Australian startup into a global fintech force and what it takes from both a product and investment lens to build world-class infrastructure for borderless business. This session will uncover the critical product decisions, growth milestones, and investor and company insights that helped shape Airwallex’s global trajectory, with practical takeaways for founders, product leaders and fintech investors alike.
Beyond the Pitch: How Fintechs Can Build Trust with Financial Services Companies
Stage 2
Looking Into the Crystal Ball: Who Will Be the Next Fintech Titans?
Stage 1
Keynote Address by The Hon Alex Hawke MP, Manager of Opposition Business, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation
Stage 1
Morning Tea Break Sponsored by K&L Gates
Building a Sufficient Runway Before Liftoff, Securing Funding in 2025
Stage 2
Theory and Practice of Releasing the Benefits of Digital Finance in Australia — Sponsored by Bolt Group
Stage 1
Join this Fireside Chat where OKX Australia CEO Kate Cooper and Forte Tech Solutions COO Paula Gregory explore Australia's transformative opportunity through digital finance innovation and the pioneering research undertaken by the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre (DFCRC) and Project Acacia, examining how public‑private collaboration and real‑world experimentation are unlocking immense economic potential.
Jack of All Trades, the Application of Agentic AI across Different Fintech Verticals
Stage 2
The Future of Money
Stage 1
Lunch Break Sponsored by Firemark Ventures
Fresh Off the Press: What You Missed in Australia’s Startup Landscape
Stage 2
This session presents a unique, data-backed view into Australia’s innovation engine, based on insights from over 12,000 companies participating in the R&D Tax Incentive, and anecdotes from funding hundreds of these companies each year. Rather than focusing on startups featured in headlines, this talk dives deep into actual innovation activity by analysing patterns in R&D expenditure across regions, sectors, business maturity, survival rates, employment, and funding. Attendees will walk away with a view of what’s really happening beneath the surface of Australia's innovation ecosystem - where capital is being deployed, which sectors are scaling R&D, what’s happening in Fintech, and how survivable innovation companies actually are. This session is especially relevant to Fintechs, investors, and policymakers seeking to better support startups in their innovation journey. Expect actionable insights and a clear look at how innovation is being built - and stalled - across Australia.
The Engagement Engine: Turning Card Solutions into Growth Platforms
Stage 1
In today’s competitive landscape, the smartest companies aren’t just adding products—they’re unlocking ecosystems. Join us for a dynamic panel that explores how innovative businesses are partnering at speed, elevating, and transforming their core offerings by integrating card solutions to deepen customer engagement, build loyalty, drive business growth, and open up entirely new revenue streams.
Global Ambition, Local Power: What Fintechs Need to Scale in Australia and Beyond
Stage 1
Scaling your Fintech Workforce Globally Without the Compliance Hangover
Stage 2
Bridging Worlds: Trends and Lessons from Global Markets
Stage 2
Strong Foundations, Bold Future: Fintech in Australia’s Digital Economy
Stage 1
Australia’s digital economy is entering a defining moment. With digital identity, digital payments and data exchange frameworks in place, the nation has the building blocks for world-class digital public infrastructure. But seizing this opportunity is critical if Australia is to lead, not follow. Join two experts who have guided policy at the highest levels as they share insights on what it will take to supercharge fintech innovation, fuel growth and productivity, and position Australia at the forefront of trusted, inclusive digital economies.
Beyond the Transaction: Turning Service into Scale — Banking Circle Roundtable
Roundtable Room 1
Winning the deal isn’t the finish line—it’s the starting gun. In a market where customers multi-partner and expectations evolve fast, growth hinges on what happens after go-live: the everyday moments where trust is built, habits are formed, and advocacy is earned—or quietly lost. For Australian fintechs, the competitive edge lies beyond the transaction: in the strength of relationship management, in product roadmaps shaped by real usage, and in service that anticipates problems before they surface. This roundtable strips away the playbooks and pitches. It’s a practical conversation about how collaboration across commercial and product teams can turn routine touchpoints into measurable outcomes. Retention is your new runway—let’s explore how to make it your growth engine. NOTE: If this roundtable reaches capacity, we kindly ask you to queue outside the room at the scheduled start time. Additional spaces may become available, and you may be able to join as an observer.
Expanding Overseas: Strategic Insights for Fintech Growth — RSM Roundtable
Roundtable Room 2
NOTE: If this roundtable reaches capacity, we kindly ask you to queue outside the room at the scheduled start time. Additional spaces may become available, and you may be able to join as an observer. Global expansion is a defining milestone for fintech companies—but it’s also a complex journey filled with regulatory, financial, and operational challenges. This workshop offers a practical roadmap of key considerations for fintech leaders considering international growth, drawing on expert insights and real-world experience. Led by an International Tax specialist from RSM Australia and the founder of EMT Partners, the session will unpack five critical phases of overseas expansion—from investor alignment and IP protection to market selection, structural setup, and profit repatriation. Whether you're preparing for your first overseas move or refining an existing footprint, this workshop will equip you with the clarity and confidence to expand with purpose.
Green Tinted Glasses: A Sustainability Lens on Fintech
Stage 2
Trust – The New Currency in Finance
Stage 1
The digital economy has opened many opportunities to revolutionise and democratise financial management and wealth creation. This includes individuals playing a more active role in understanding, managing and planning for retirement, accessing investment instruments and share markets both locally and globally, transacting seamlessly across borders and rapidly through online platforms, borrowing and accessing credit to name a few benefits. However, underpinning all of these motions is a Trust framework that seeks to protect the identity, personal information and integrity of the systems required to facilitate the transfer of asset ownership. We aim to explore new threat vectors appearing with the emergence of Generative AI and the way in which AI can be used to mitigate the risks associated with financial crime. Themes we aim to explore today include: - Role of trust in fraud prevention - Evolving fraud tactics in trust economy - Cost of broken trust - Rebuilding trust after fraud - Future of trust in the hyper digital world. - Collaboration “network of trust”
Afternoon Tea Break
House of Cards: How Fintechs are Supporting the Property Industry
Stage 2
Department of Finance Digital ID Roundtable
Roundtable Room 2
Going International: Building Opportunities for your Business in the UK — UKDBT Roundtable
Roundtable Room 1
The UK’s ambition is to be the location of choice for financial services firms to invest, grow and sell their services to the world. Regulating for growth has shaped their campaign to attract international companies to scale and to keep the UK as an innovation forward market. Participants will not only gain insights into the changing regulatory regime and trending areas of financial services innovation, but also into the variety of support mechanisms available for international expansion. Learn from industry experts on how your business can take off for global expansion in the UK. NOTE: If this roundtable reaches capacity, we kindly ask you to queue outside the room at the scheduled start time. Additional spaces may become available, and you may be able to join as an observer.
Empowering Growth in the Age of Intelligent Commerce
Stage 1
What happens when commerce becomes intelligent—when AI agents transact on our behalf, when digital businesses can scale in minutes, and when trust is embedded in the very fabric of data? This session will explore the technologies and strategies shaping the next era of financial services, from programmable money to autonomous payments that unlock new pathways for growth.
In the Room Where it Happens: High Profile Cyber Attacks and Scam Prevention
Stage 2
The Great Fintech AI Debate: Overhyped or Underestimated?
Stage 1
Women in Fintech Breakfast Sponsored by Cuscal — From Competition to Collaboration: The Power of Allyship Among Women in Fintech
Stage 2
Registration required.
Light Breakfast
Retention Strategies: Creating Workplaces that Sustain Inclusion
Stage 1
Innovation and Regulatory Sandbox Roundtable
Roundtable Room 2
This roundtable to bring fintechs together with Treasury and ASIC to share ideas about the regulatory sandbox and innovation in Australia. The discussion will explore: - Opportunities for innovation and responsible growth, such as regulatory sandboxes. - Collaboration between fintechs, regulators and policymakers.
Combating the Global Cost of Living Crisis
Stage 1
Show and Tell: Why We Invested in Our Portfolio
Stage 2
"Pay by Bank" vs. "Pay by Card": The Coming Showdown for Australian Digital Commerce
Stage 1
Fintechs with Impact: Leading the Charge on Positive Change
Stage 2
Roundtable with The Hon Tim Wilson MP, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations & Employment, Shadow Minister for Small Business
Roundtable Room 1
An opportunity to share the challenges the industry is currently facing to help the Shadow Cabinet include these when formulating their agenda. He's a key member of the Coalition's leadership team and is looking forward to hearing for the thought leaders in the industry. He will also share insights into the Coalition's approach to innovation policy.
Unlocking Opportunities with Real-Time Payments — Australian Payments Plus Roundtable
Roundtable Room 2
As Australia looks to modernise its payments infrastructure, hear from Australian Payments Plus (AP+) on the move to real-time payments via the NPP and the benefits that this is unlocking for businesses. Learn more about the program of work currently underway to support this change including planned developments on the NPP. NOTE: If this roundtable reaches capacity, we kindly ask you to queue outside the room at the scheduled start time. Additional spaces may become available, and you may be able to join as an observer.
From Breaches to Best Practice: Securing the Future of Digital Platforms
Stage 2
In a world where customer data fuels personalised experiences, trains AI models and drives product innovation, digital platforms face growing responsibility to protect the data they hold. This session examines the considerations from business leaders of maintaining their data while managing risks that shape evolving financial crime, including fraud and scams. The panellists will share their experiences, some tools & frameworks for navigating the decision-making process and give insights into how an organisation can build consumer trust, supported by robust data protection & and cyber policies.
Once Bitten, Twice Spry: Lessons from Serial Founders
Stage 1
Lunch Break
Roundtable Luncheon: Women in Open Banking ANZ
Roundtable Room 1
CDR in Action for Financial Inclusion: How women in open banking and finance across ANZ are shaping opportunity, innovation and impact. Grab your lunch from the buffet in the main foyer, then join us to connect and be inspired, as we discuss the renewed momentum in Australia's Consumer Data Right and how open banking is shaping up in Australia and New Zealand. This session is included in your Intersekt ticket. All welcome, with priority registration for women who are actively working in open banking and related sectors. NOTE: If this roundtable reaches capacity, we kindly ask you to queue outside the room at the scheduled start time. Additional spaces may become available, and you may be able to join as an observer.
Beyond Borders: How Australian Businesses Can Master Global Payments
Stage 2
With strong trade ties to Asia and a rapidly evolving real-time payments ecosystem, Australia occupies a unique position in the global payments landscape. But how can the country unlock its full cross-border payments potential? This panel explores how innovation, regulation, and emerging markets are reshaping remittances, e-commerce, and trade. The session will examine the rise of digital wallets, APIs, and stablecoins in cross-border payments, and what these shifts mean for Australian businesses facing new challenges and seizing global opportunities.
Embedded by Design: Harnessing Agentic AI to Deliver Frictionless, Client-Centric Solutions — Sponsored by Bolt Group
Stage 1
Join an expert panel as they discuss how artificial intelligence is being built into everyday financial services to deliver better results for customers and businesses. The panelists will share real examples of using AI responsibly—improving everything from embedded financial products to customer service and compliance. If you want to hear the real-world impact of AI in finance, this is your chance to listen to our industry experts who are helping to shape our AI-enhanced future.
South Asia Market Update Roadshow: Critical and Enabling Tech — Austrade Roundtable
Roundtable Room 2
We are pleased to share that Austrade will be hosting the South Asia Market Update Roadshow in September – October 2025, as part of the South Asia Business Exchange Program. Building on the success of the 2024 India Market Update, this year’s roadshow will expand beyond India to include Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as key markets in South Asia offering broader insights and opportunities for Australia critical and enabling tech exporters. On the margins of InterSekt Festival, FinTech Australia is partnering with Austrade to deliver a market insights session to help tech exporters learn more about the region. The roadshow will feature: - Market insights workshop, delivered by Austrade’s sector experts from the South Asia region - Opportunities to connect with visiting customers from South Asia - Referrals to upcoming trade missions and tailored export services.
Instant Gratification: Super-Charging Real Time Payments
Stage 2
You’ve Got the Data – Now What? Credit Decisioning in Business and Consumer Lending
Stage 1
Blockchain Unbound: Real World Applications
Stage 2
Buy, Sell or Build? Scaling Up Smart and Leading in a Consolidating Fintech Market
Stage 1
Local Legends to Global Gamechangers – Dreaming Big with UK and Australian Fintechs — UKDBT Roundtable
Roundtable Room 2
This dynamic roundtable brings together leading voices from the UK and Australian fintech sectors to explore how bold innovation and cross-border collaboration are shaping the future of financial technology. From the well-known developments across open banking and artificial intelligence, to the predicted next frontiers in fintech, participants will gain insights into what’s next and the global mindset powering cross-border success. NOTE: If this roundtable reaches capacity, we kindly ask you to queue outside the room at the scheduled start time. Additional spaces may become available, and you may be able to join as an observer.
Fintech Foundation: People, Platforms and Policy
Stage 1
Who Will Own Digital Trust in 2030?
Stage 2
Everyone hates creating accounts and remembering passwords to log back in, but replacing them isn’t just a tech problem. It’s about who controls the credentials, who consumers trust, and how we stop identity theft in a digital world. We debate the emerging digital trust stack: biometrics, decentralised IDs, AI-driven verification, and whether private sector or government should lead.
Afternoon Tea Break
Australia's Productivity Blindspot: What are the Drivers of Australia’s Long-term Success
Stage 1
Beyond the Hype: Scaling Fintech in the Real World
Stage 1
Fintech 50, A Pitch Extravaganza
Stage 1
We're back with our most exciting event: Fintech 50, a Pitch Extravaganza! Come see 50 industry pitches within 1 hour, each 30 seconds. Not your usual pitch, our fintechs will be pitching for anything: investors, partners, service providers and more!

Rehan D'Almeida
CEO, FinTech Australia
Rehan D'Almeida is the Chief Executive Officer of FinTech Australia, the peak industry body representing the dynamic Australian fintech sector. With over eight years at FinTech Australia, Rehan provides the vision and leadership necessary to drive the industry's success through strategic policy advocacy, thought leadership, and high-impact industry initiatives.

Minister Danny Pearson
Minister, Victorian Government
Hon Danny Pearson MP Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs \ Minister for Finance Mr Pearson is the Member for Essendon in the Victorian State Parliament, first elected in 2014. Mr Pearson brings extensive experience in government oversight and leadership to his roles and has managed various portfolios. In December 2024, Mr. Pearson was appointed his current portfolios, where he continues with the role of Minister for Finance and is the responsible Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs

Heidi Richards
Independent Consultant, Better Regulation Advisory
Heidi is a former senior financial services regulator in Australia and the United States. She led the policy function at APRA and has played a key role in implementing major financial sector regulatory reforms. As an independent consultant, Heidi now advises financial institutions, fintech and regtech start-ups, and government agencies on regulatory strategy. She is a member of the Data Standards Advisory Committee.

Nicholas Harrap
Executive, Digital Platforms, National Australia Bank
Nicholas Harrap is a seasoned digital executive with 20+ years of across Asia, Europe and the Americas in digital product, identity and open banking. In his current role as Executive, Digital Platforms and NAB, and a member of the Digital Standards Advisory Committee, he aims to use this experience to drive innovation at the intersection of identity, data, and digital transformation.

Jason Leong
CEO and Co-Founder, PocketSmith
I’m CEO and co-founder at PocketSmith, personal finance software for Home CFOs. We help 300,000 users in 190+ countries organise their money and forecast their futures. We're passionate about personalised finance and empowering consumers, and we're proud to be part of Australia’s fintech community driving financial inclusion and control.

Wade Oakley
CTO, Credit Sense
Wade is a co-founder of Credit Sense and Lead Market and has over a decade of experience building comprehensive solutions around transaction data, from customer engagement through to delivery of quality and accurate insights that drive value and solve for affordability, risk and compliance challenges within the lending industry.

Brenton Charnley
Head of Open Finance, Mastercard
Brenton is an experienced fintech executive specializing in building high growth businesses from the ground up. Brenton leads the Open Finance business for Mastercard in Asia Pacific and has spent the last decade in fintech where he was the ANZ CEO at global open banking player Truelayer and COO at global insurtech pioneer Cover Genius. Brenton is also passionate about building industry communities having co-founded Insurtech Australia and Open Finance ANZ.

Shannon Scott
SVP, Global Head of Product, Airwallex
Shannon is Global Head of Product at Airwallex, leading the development of AI-driven financial infrastructure for global businesses. Previously, he was an early member of Palantir, founding Palantir’s operations in ANZ and Europe and building teams serving government and enterprise clients. He holds degrees in Computer Science and Mechatronic Engineering and has worked across software, business development, and advising Australian startups.

Michael Tolo
General Partner, Blackbird Ventures
Michael Tolo is a Partner at Blackbird, where he leads the firm’s deeptech practice. He’s led investments into companies like PsiQuantum, Airwallex, and Heidi. Before joining Blackbird, he was a Principal at Playground Global, a deep tech-focused early-stage fund based in Palo Alto. He began his investing career at Future Fund on the private equity and venture capital team.

Simon Burt
Head of Digital and Proposition Development, NGM Group
Simon is currently Head of Digital and Proposition Development for one of Australia’s largest mutual banks, NGM Group Limited leading development and delivery of customer and growth focused proposition, including CDR Data Holder and ADR across the NGM Group retail brands of Newcastle Permanent and Greater Bank.

Nathan Churchward
Head of Product Solutions & Innovation, Cuscal
Nathan Churchward is Cuscal’s Head of Product Solutions & Innovation and is responsible for ensuring the success of the integrated payments, banking and data value proposition that is delivered to clients and prospects in existing and new market segments. Since joining Cuscal in 2014 to establish NPP services, Nathan has focused on developing and launching payment solutions that deliver competitive advantage and enhanced customer experience for Cuscal's B2C, B2B and B2B(2X) clients.

Dan Chesterman
Chief Information Officer, Teachers Mutual Bank
Dan is the Chief Information Officer at Teachers Mutual Bank Limited, leading IT, cyber security, vendor management, and technology transformation. With 30+ years in financial services and consulting, he has held senior roles at ASX and CommSec and advised businesses on strategy and change. Beyond his CIO role, Dan advises the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and startups, chairs a not-for-profit, supports the arts, and manages community football.

Stephanie Elliott
Chief Operating Officer, Customer Owned Banking Association
Stephanie Elliott is COBA’s COO, leading COBA’s strategic engagement, reputational and business initiatives. She has extensive experience in law and government, and is also the Chair of a non-profit organisation. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Laws from the Australian National University.

Marnie Baker
Director, FinTech Australia
Marnie Baker is a highly accomplished financial services leader with 35+ years’ experience, including as CEO and MD of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. A passionate advocate for regional Australia, she serves on the RBA Monetary Policy Board and several national boards including FinTech Australia, holds multiple fellowships, and was appointed a member of the Order of Australia in 2025 for her significant service to the financial and banking sectors.

Toby Norton-Smith
Managing Director, x15ventures
Toby is Managing Director of CommBank’s venture scaler x15ventures, which has a mandate to build, buy, and invest in startups that could benefit the bank’s customers. Toby oversees funding and MVP development decisions, portfolio management, and ensures ventures operate smoothly within risk parameters. With experience in innovation and management consultancy roles, Toby brings a sharp strategic vision to x15, one that understands the ‘sweet spot’ between corporate scale and startup agility.

Lynn Thompson
Global Head, QBE Ventures
Investing in and working alongside founders with the potential to transform insurance. Lynn is a partner of QBE Ventures, leading strategy and partnership functions to make impactful early and growth stage investments on a global scale. Ex-Deloitte, Ex-GM, Ex-AI R&D Head. Current corporate venture capital investor and board member. Operates at the intersection of data for good, AI, start-ups and old-world industries.

Judy Anderson-Firth
Co-Founder & Group CEO, Triple Bubble & Euphemia
Judy is Group CEO of Euphemia, the family office of renowned Australian entrepreneur and technologist, Dom Pym, and the co-founder of Triple Bubble. The former CEO of Startup Victoria, Judy is an influential mentor, advisor, and advocate for women in the Australian startup ecosystem

Dom Pym
Founder, Euphemia
Dom is a renowned Australian entrepreneur and technologist who has co-founded multiple successful businesses including Up, Australia’s leading digital bank and Triple Bubble, Oceania’s first of its kind dedicated fintech fund. He is deeply involved in his family office Euphemia, which is focused on supporting Australian founders and elevating the entire Australian startup ecosystem.

The Hon Alex Hawke MP
Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
The Hon Alex Hawke MP is the Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation and Manager of Opposition Business in the House. Alex previously served as Cabinet Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Assistant Defence Minister and Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Special Minister of State, Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, and the Assistant Minister to the Treasurer.

Shamus Hodgson
Group CEO, Zai Payments
Shamus Hodgson is Group CEO of Zai Payments Group and CurrencyFair. He has over 25 years of leadership experience in the fintech industry, where he has successfully scaled operations, led mergers and acquisitions, and driven significant growth for companies such as Lumon and Moneybarn. Shamus is known for his strategic vision and his passion for leveraging technology and empowering people to build high-performing, future-ready businesses.

Jodie Imam
Co-Founder and CEO, Tractor Ventures
Jodie is passionate about helping tech businesses start and grow. Jodie is a founder, an angel investor, advisor and non executive director. Currently she is a CoFounder and the CEO at Tractor Ventures a Fintech company that exists to help founders unlock possibilities with alternative capital! And an NED at Private Media and Fintech Australia. Previously, she cofounded two-sided marketplace, Occasional Butler, which was acquired by rival Airtasker and depo8 coworking.

Caroline Tran
Co-Founder and CEO, Hello Clever
Caroline Tran is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hello Clever, a global AI-driven fintech revolutionising real-time payments, loyalty and intelligent insights. With a background in finance and technology, Caroline has led Hello Clever to become a trailblazer in the payment ecosystem.Under her leadership, Hello Clever has secured major funding, became Australia's fastest growing startup, forged strategic partnerships, and earned recognition on the Forbes Asia 100 and Female Fintech Leader of The Year

Kenneth Lai
Director, RSM
Kenneth Lai is a Director in the Corporate Finance division at RSM — a leading global network of audit, tax and consulting professionals. Over the course of his career, Kenneth has built a strong reputation for his sharp financial insights and his genuine commitment to helping businesses grow and succeed. He’s led teams on a range of projects, from M&A to financial due diligence and capital raising. His experience covers a variety of industries with a particular focus on the technology industry.

Kate Cooper
CEO, OKX
Kate Cooper is CEO of OKX Australia, shaping the future of digital assets through leadership roles across NAB, Westpac, and Zodia Custody, and as a board member of DECA. She is also the author of the upcoming book EDGE – A Field Guide to Adapting, Performing and Leading on the Edge of Change.

Paula Gregory
COO, Forte Tech Solutions & Forte AUD
Paula is an accomplished senior executive with over 15 years of leadership experience, including more than seven years specialising in digital finance. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer at BTC Markets, where she played a pivotal role in driving operational excellence within one of Australia’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. Currently, Paula is the Chief Operating Officer at Forte Tech Solutions, where she leads the team in delivering innovative financial technology solutions.

Dean Martin
General Manager and Director of Sales, Bolt Group - Build BaaS
Dean brings over 20 years’ experience spanning financial services, banking, and technology innovation. He has held senior leadership roles in business development, marketing and strategy, and has launched payment and data solutions for wealth, HCM, and Web3. As CEO of an ASX listed fintech, Dean delivered growth and transformation for local and global institutions. He is recognised for driving results through innovative go to market strategies, strategic execution and technology led innovation.

Warren Oakes
COO, FrankieOne
Warren Oakes drives AI-driven innovation in identity, fraud, and risk FrankieOne. He has scaled award-winning FinTech solutions, transforming customer experience and operations with bold product strategy and next-generation AI.

Gordon Campbell
Chief Market & Strategy Officer, RDC.AI
Gordon Campbell, Chief Market & Strategy Officer and Co-founder of RDC.AI, brings 30+ years in enterprise software to drive the company’s leading AI Decisioning platform for business and commercial lenders. With a proven record in global product strategy and development, Gordon is committed to customer success, advocacy, and advancing financial inclusion through the power of data and AI.

Jitto Arulampalam
CEO & Co-Founder, RedOwl
Jitto Arulampalam is the CEO & Co-Founder of Melbourne based award winning fintech RedOwl, an AI platform pioneering augmented intelligence for the office of the CFO. Having started his career at Westpac, Jitto co-founded and exited several startups via trade sales and IPOs on the ASX and NASDAQ.

Rebecca Schot-Guppy
Partner, Firemark Ventures
Rebecca Schot-Guppy is a Partner at IAG Firemark Ventures leading Investment Leverage and Portfolio Management. Firemark Ventures has a $170 million fund - with 50 investments across 26 portfolio companies - and is helping shape IAG's future by bringing the outside-in by identifying, investing, and incubating our portfolio companies to accelerate new value creation within, and beyond, our core insurance business. Before working at Firemark Ventures, Rebecca was CEO of FinTech Australia which represents over 400 companies in Australia on key policy issues and supports the local fintech ecosystem with events and partnerships. She also practised as a corporate lawyer at Hall & Willcox.

Brad Jones
Assistant Governor Financial System Group, Reserve Bank of Australia
Dr Brad Jones is Assistant Governor (Financial System) at the RBA, Deputy Chair of the Payments System Board, and a member of the Council of Financial Regulators. He oversees the RBA’s work on financial stability and the future of money. Prior to the RBA, Brad was a senior advisor at the IMF in Washington D.C., held research and investment responsibilities at Deutsche Bank in London and Hong Kong, and was a Fellow at the Cambridge University Judge Business School.

Daniel Lavecky
Executive Chairman, Canvas Technology Group
Daniel Lavecky is a highly experienced fintech entrepreneur and investor with a track record of innovation in global payments and Web3 finance. As founder of Pure Commerce, Daniel pioneered multi-currency payment solutions, leading to one of Australia’s largest fintech exits with its acquisition by NASDAQ-listed Euronet Worldwide. He is currently Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of CANVAS, a diversified and regulated blockchain technology company with a mission to digitize finance.

Urszula McCormack
Partner, King & Wood Mallesons
Urszula McCormack is a digital economy lawyer with over 20 years’ experience across APAC. Urszula advises global banks, payment institutions, technology companies and digital asset firms on structuring new products and platforms. She has particular expertise in large multi-stakeholder platforms, new financial market infrastructure and transactions involving highly regulated sectors.

Ben Buckingham
Founder & CEO, Primary
Ben Buckingham is the founder & CEO of Primary, a B2B fintech platform helping mid-market & growth companies manage cash & treasury across payments, FX, yield and debt. Primary works with clients like Constantinople, Lyka, Eucalyptus & InDebted to give them a single picture of cash across their banking partners, increase yield and reduce FX risk. Prior to founding Primary, Ben was the Chief Product Officer of Identitii with experience at Allens & McKinsey.

Alex Simmons
Co-Founder & CEO, Kashcade
Alex Simmons is Co-Founder and CEO of Kashcade, Australia’s fastest R&D lender. Prior to Kashcade, Alex was a product strategist at Commbank and a management consultant for financial institutions at Accenture. Today, he works directly with founders, providing R&D loans at speed to Aussie companies. At Kashcade, Alex has raised ~$100M in debt and equity capital, served hundreds of customers, and built a profitable business. His perspective bridges traditional finance and modern startup capital.

Kirstin Hunter
CEO, Birchal
Kirstin Hunter is the Chief Executive Officer of Birchal, Australia’s leading crowdsourced funding platform. Kirstin is an experienced start-up and high-growth business executive with a focus on fintech businesses at the intersection of activism and capitalism: former Managing Director at Techstars Tech Central Sydney Accelerator, co-Founder and former CEO at Future Super, former executive at Brighte, founding chairperson at Ocean Impact Organisation and long-time mentor with Blackbird's Giants

Bronwen Clune
VC and startup correspondent, Capital Brief
Bronwen Clune is the VC and startup correspondent for Capital Brief. She has worked across the media and startups in senior positions for the last 15 years. She has also worked for both state and federal government helping foster innovation. She was part of the founding team at Culture Amp.

Oliver Kidd
Founder, Archa
Oliver Kidd is Founder & CEO of Archa, a leading Australian corporate credit card and spend-management platform. Oliver previously practised as an M&A lawyer and served as a company secretary for various ASX and Nasdaq-listed organisations, and was a former Board member of Fintech Australia. He is deeply engaged in regulatory reform, capital strategy, and scaling innovative financial infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand.

Shehan Rajakumar
Head of Proposition, AMP Bank Limited
Shehan Rajakumar is Head of SME Proposition at AMP Bank GO, where he leads the design of innovative banking solutions for small and mini businesses. With a passion for simplifying finance, Shehan brings strategic insight and customer-first thinking to help businesses thrive in a digital economy.

Annelyn Singson
Vice President, Mastercard
Annelyn leads the Commercial and Government customer segment for Mastercard Australia. In this role Annelyn partners with financial institutions to deliver B2B payment experiences that are safer, simpler, and more secure for Australian businesses. She also drives Mastercard’s engagement with government stakeholders, championing digital solutions that promote inclusive and sustainable economic development.

Alison Morris
SVP/GM, Worldpay for Platforms International
As SVP/GM Worldpay for Platforms Alison Moris leads the transformation of embedded payments spanning global markets. With 20+ years' experience across Worldpay and American Express, Alison’s known for her courageous leadership and delivering innovative payment solutions in complex industries. A transformation catalyst, Alison builds diverse, high-performing teams where authenticity, vulnerability, and strategic risk-taking thrive.

Yogesh Sangle
EVP, APAC Sales, Nium
Yogesh Sangle is the Executive Vice President of APAC Sales at Nium. In this role, he oversees business development across Asia-Pacific, while also leading revenue for Nium’s direct-to-consumer business, Instarem. Under his leadership, Instarem has achieved 5x growth across individual, SME, and enterprise segments, and launched Amaze, now Singapore’s most popular consumer travel card. deep expertise in scaling businesses across banking, cards, and payments.

Peter Cowan
CEO, PayPal Australia
Peter is responsible and accountable for PayPal’s overall business in Australia. He ensures the company meets the needs of PayPal’s Australian consumer and business customers, underpinned by strong risk management, and guided by a high degree of regulatory engagement, within the rapidly evolving digital payments landscape.

Piers Cracknell
General Manager Australia, Banking Circle / ASL
GM / Country Manager for Banking Circle Australia. Banking & fintech professional with 25+ years of experience working for major banks and high growth fintechs.

Roghan McMahon
Senior Manager, Sales Engineering, Sensiba LLP
Roghan McMahon is the Senior Manager of Sales Engineering at Sensiba LLP, leading the function across APAC and EMEA. Roghan was formerly part of the leadership at AssuranceLab, prior to the merger with US professional services group, Sensiba LLP in July 2025. Roghan has expertise in SOC 1, SOC 2, Essential 8, CPS 230/234, GS 007, and ISO 27001, helping clients scale risk and compliance with business growth. He holds a BA from Trinity College Dublin, is a CPA, and a ISO 27001 Lead Auditor.

Jefferson Haw
Solutions Engineering Manager, Vanta Inc.
With over 18 years of experience in the IT industry, Jefferson Haw leads the customer solutions team at Vanta, a prominent leader in the Governance Risk & Compliance (GRC) sector, offering a unified trust management platform. His team specializes in designing and implementing comprehensive strategic industry solutions that harness the capabilities of continuous compliance, thereby enabling organizations to establish and publicly demonstrate trust.

Dan Shaw
Director of Global Solutions APAC, Rippling
Dan Shaw is a results-driven leader with over 15+ years of experience in the technology sector, specialising in technology strategy, business transformation, and team leadership. With expertise spanning startups and global enterprises, he excels at building high-performing teams and delivering impactful solutions. Dan is passionate about driving innovation and leveraging technology to create value and enable business success

Cheryl Mack
CEO, Aussie Angels
Cheryl is the CEO of Aussie Angels, on a mission to democratise early-stage investing in Australia & NZ. She’s an active angel investor with 32 investments, a Venture Partner at Black Nova VC, and co-founded the now famous 361 Angel Club. Cheryl also leads an angel syndicate, CMACK Ventures, with over 500 investors.

Tony Tang
CEO, HuePay
Tony Tang is CEO of HuePay, the Australian affiliate of Huifu, one of China’s leading payment providers. He leads HuePay’s growth across Australia, delivering digitalized payment solutions that connect Chinese and Australian businesses.

Huw Davies
Co-Founder and CEO, Ozone API
Huw is a globally recognised pioneer in open finance. He led the development of the UK open banking ecosystem during his time as a key member of the leadership team within the Open Banking Implementation Entity and has continued to drive open finance globally as the CEO of Ozone API. Huw brings 30 years in banking, having led payments globally at HSBC and as the former Head of Digital Payments at MasterCard.

Rob Talevski
CEO, Webull Australia
Rob has over 20 years' experience in Australian and International financial markets. Working with a diverse range of clients across retail, wholesale and institutional channels. His expertise lies in trading, portfolio management, and developing financial technology solutions to provide best in class product and create ease of access to local and global markets empowering investors to grow their wealth.

Jason Turnbull
General Manager - ANZ Payments, Novatti Group
Jason brings over 20 years of management experience to Novatti, bringing a wealth of fintech and proptech experience from previous organisations such as Hutly, Console Group and EziDebit where he has held senior roles such as chief product officer, chief technology officer and chief information officer.

Scott Farrell
Strategic Counsel, King & Wood Mallesons
Dr Scott Farrell led the Government Reviews which designed Australia’s open banking and consumer data right frameworks and modernised its payment regulation. Scott is Strategic Counsel at King & Wood Mallesons, serves on the Payments System Board of the RBA, is an Adjunct Professor at the UNSW Sydney Law School and chairs the ISO technical committee developing international standards for distributed ledger technologies and smart contracts.

Jane Hume
Liberal Senator for Victoria, Australian Government
Jane Hume is a Liberal Senator for Victoria. Elected in 2016, Senator Hume has held several portfolio responsibilities including Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services, Digital Economy and Women’s Economic Security and Shadow Minister for Finance. She is currently the Chair of the Senate Economics References Committee and remains passionate about the digital economy, specifically Consumer Data Right.

Philip Dalidakis
Managing Partner, Orizontas
A seasoned public policy expect, Philip advises CEOs, boards, and government leaders on navigating risk, government/regulatory & reputational issues. With experience as a Cabinet Minister, C-suite roles & listed Boards, Philip bridges the worlds of media, politics & the private sector.

Yasmine Amani
Relationship Manager, Banking Circle
Hi, I'm Yas. My experience in the Payments industry spans about 15yrs building & scaling trusted client relationships that are anchored on collaboration and shared success, to deliver mutual growth outcomes with engagement that sticks.I work with banks, fintechs and payment processors to help them scale locally and expand globally using just one API to access local clearing rails, multi-currency virtual accounts and FX solutions via Banking Circle's end to end payments platform.

Ying Zhuo
Head of Product Development APAC, Banking Circle

Brad O'Donnell
Partner, International Tax and Transfer Pricing, RSM
Brad is a Partner in the International Tax and Transfer Pricing practice within RSM Australia, with over 18 years of experience in the field. Brad’s experience crosses both Australia and the US, having spent seven years working in San Jose, California. This experience has provided Brad with a detailed understanding of US headquartered multinational organisations and their overseas structures, along with the industries which dominate the US West Coast.

Trent Blacket
Founder, EMT
Trent Blacket is a media-tech investor, lawyer and the founder of EMT. He’s a founding shareholder via Ward Blacket Investments LLC in Centr.com and a strategic partner with Amalfi Capital. His career spans law, banking, and cross-border deals. He supports non-profits and advisory boards across Australia and the U.S.

Allys Todd
Founder & CEO, VALAI and Home Efficiency Australia
Founder of VALAI, Allys Todd drives climate impact through tech and shared value. Award-winning leader, speaker, and advocate for gender equity, innovation, and sustainable economic systems.

Ben Brazier
ESG Retail Banking Lead, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Ben Brazier leads environment and social strategy for retail banking at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, championing win-wins for customers, communities and the environment. His work spans energy efficiency, climate resilience, and First Nations prosperity – delivering practical, scalable solutions that help Australians save money and build a more sustainable future.

Sarah Gorman
Chair and Head of Growth, FinTech Australia and DAS
Fintech Australia’s Chair, Sarah Gorman is a three-time founder who leads growth at DAS (Digital Agriculture Services), a leading agri-fintech innovating at the nexus of climate, spatial finance, insurability and AI - closing the farmland blind spot as material risk rises in financial services.

Janet Salem
Co-Founder, FootprintLab
Janet Salem is the co-founder of FootprintLab, which integrates sustainability data into financial data, and a frequent public speaker on sustainability innovation. Janet spent 17 years at the United Nations working on sustainability. She is also a PhD candidate with the University of Sydney, where she is researching the integration of sustainability data into fintech, and is the 2022 winner of the Ada Lovelace Medal which recognises excellence in engineering.

Michelle Weatherhead
Account Executive - Financial Crime, Fivecast
Michelle is an experience technology and business development consultant with over twenty years experience working in analytics, intelligence and financial crime protection. She has worked with organisations around the world on a variety of initiatives such as security, AML/CTF and fraud prevention. In 2025 she joined Fivecast to grow its presence throughout APAC focusing on Financial Service and Corporate sectors.

Brad Sawyer
Solution Consultant, Fraud & Financial Crime, Fortiro
Brad Sawyer is a Solution Consultant at Fortiro with nearly two decades in banking and fintech. He began his career in credit operations and underwriting before moving into consulting with NextGen.Net, Rubik, Salesforce, and FrankieOne, as well as leadership roles at major Australian banks and WorkSafe Victoria.

Ben Davey
Co-Founder & Head of Product, Darwinium
Ben Davey is Co-founder and Head of Product at Darwinium. A lifelong fraud fighter, he’s passionate about outsmarting adversaries and building products that stay ahead of evolving threats. Known for his creativity and energy, Ben brings vision, technical depth, and real-world insight to every conversation.

Nikita Le Messurier
Startup Advisor, Amazon Web Services
Nikita Le Messurier is a Startup Advisor at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where she works closely with early-stage companies to help them scale and succeed in the tech industry. In addition to her advisory role, Nikita is an active startup investor, with a particular focus on female founder-led businesses, deep tech, and AI. Beyond her professional work, Nikita lives and breathes her passion for the arts, and chairs the Arts Centre Melbourne Contemporary Foundation.

Adam Grocke
Founder & CEO, Sherlok
Why can't you get a cheaper interest rate with a few clicks?Adam Grocke, an award winning mortgage broker turned fintech entrepreneur, is leveraging AI and trusted, verified data sources to provide instant repricing and refinancing of home loans. Turning a 30 day process into 30mins.

Rohith George
Chief Operating Officer, Managed
Rohith George is the COO of Managed, a housing operating system redefining real estate payments. With a background in strategy, fintech, and operations, he leads product, platform, and growth. Under his leadership, Managed has processed over $4 billion in transactions and pioneered the use of digital wallets in a traditionally conservative and slow-moving industry.

Katherine McConnell
CEO & Founder, Brighte
Katherine McConnell is the founder and CEO of Brighte, an Australian fintech focused on sustainable home improvements and clean energy finance. Before founding Brighte in 2015, she spent 14+ years in investment banking and energy, including at Macquarie Bank. Her vision to make solar more accessible has helped thousands of homeowners. She’s widely recognised for her leadership and has received multiple entrepreneurship awards.

Kylie Davis
President, Proptech Australia
Kylie Davis is a proptech expert, founder of the peak industry body for proptech, Proptech Australia and Entrepreneur in Residence at REACH Australia. With an MBA and 25 years in media, marketing, and big data, she's had two successful exits, including HomePrezzo. Kylie is also a prolific author and holds multiple directorships and advisory roles in Australian proptechs.

Anthony Baum
Founder & CEO, Tiimely
Anthony Baum is Founder & CEO of AI-driven platform technology company, Tiimely, leading the industry in digital fulfilment, financial assessment and credit automation.Anthony has 30+ years of financial services experience, with an ultimate ambition to enhance transparency and redefine industry cost structures for the benefit of both customers and lenders.

Carla Harris
Director, Strategy & Innovation, Deloitte
Carla is a Director in Deloitte’s Strategy consulting practice where she works closely with executive and board-level clients within the financial services sector to help them enhance performance through strategic operational efficiencies and growth opportunities. Prior to joining Deloitte, Carla was CEO and co-founder of a fintech startup, and was on the board of FinTech Australia from 2018-2021

Aaron Violi MP
Chief Opposition Whip, Federal Member for Casey, Parliament of Australia
Aaron Violi was elected to the Australian Parliament in 2022. Prior to that he worked for Toronto tech startup, Ritual. He is a strong advocate for Australia's digital future, with a focus on AI and cybersecurity. He is a Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Innovation and Startups and believes in using technology, science, and innovation to drive economic growth and productivity.

Rob Feeney
Partner - Strategy and Execution, EY
Rob Feeney is a Partner in EY’s Financial Services – Strategy and Transactions team, based in Melbourne. With 25 years’ experience across Australia, NZ, Europe, and Asia, he has led major transformations for global and local clients, including top banks, airlines, retailers, and telcos. Rob has managed teams of up to 500 and helped deliver over $10B in value.

Kirsty Whitford
Sector Lead - Technology, Financial and Professional Services, UK Government

Alan Machet
Group Country Manager, Visa
Alan is responsible for leading Visa’s business across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, which includes client and industry partnerships, helping businesses grow and providing seamless customer experiences, advancing digital acceptance, and accelerating innovation efforts in the market. Alan was appointed to the role in September 2024. He is based in Sydney and serves as a member of Visa’s Asia Pacific Leadership Team.

Andrew Davies
Global Head of FCC Strategy, ComplyAdvantage
Andrew Davies is Global Head of Regulatory Affairs at ComplyAdvantage. In this role, he works withComplyAdvantage customers, prospects and regulators around the world to design and deploy effective risk management solutions to mitigate financial crime risks with particular focus on compliance, money laundering and fraud. He is also responsible for seeking new markets and applications for ComplyAdvantage’s data, screening and monitoring solutions. Davies joined ComplyAdvantage in 2022.

Ethan Teas
Executive General Manager, Payments, Commonwealth Bank
Ethan Teas is Executive General Manager of Payments at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia with responsibility for domestic and international account-based payments products. In addition to his product responsibilities, Ethan leads the teams supporting the Bank's group-wide payments strategy, industry representation, and advocacy.

Melanie Hayden
Managing Director, Truyu
Melanie is MD of Truyu, sitting within x15ventures, CommBank’s venture scaler. Truyu helps Australians take control when their identity details are leaked online, offering ID usage alerts and guidance to secure what matters most. Melanie began her career as an M&A lawyer before moving into corporate strategy at CommBank.

Jonathan Perkinson
Partner, Risk Advisory, Ashurst
Jonathan is a financial services regulatory Partner in Ashurst's Risk Advisory practice.With extensive experience in navigating complex areas of financial services regulation, he advises clients on complying with scam and fraud regulation and developing strategies and frameworks to uplift capability in these areas. He also has deep experience in supporting clients with developing operational plans in response to regulatory issues as well as systemic customer remediation requirements.

Cathryn Lyall
Partner, Seed Space Venture Capital

Vinnie D'Alessandro
Founder, Raishio
Vinnie is an award-winning leader with more than 25 years’ experience at the intersection of fintech, technology, and AI. Renowned for turning complex technologies into practical growth strategies, Vinnie plays a pivotal role across multiple ventures, including: Co-Founder & CCO at Profenso AI Co-Founder at Gifting Owl Founder at Raishio Board Member at FinTech Australia

Brian Collins
Co-Founding Partner, Triple Bubble
Brian Collins is the co-founding partner of Triple Bubble, the region's first fit-for-purpose fintech fund.

Bronwyn Yam
Chief Product Officer, Cuscal
Bronwyn joined Cuscal in May 2023 as the Chief Product Officer, responsible for driving Cuscal’s product strategy. Bronwyn has over 25 years experience in financial services and consulting. She was previously CPO at Tyro Payments and held senior roles at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Prior to moving to Australia, she worked with Arthur Andersen in the US and across Asia. Bronwyn holds an MBA from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and a BA in Business Economics from UCLA.

May Lam
Chief Information Officer, Australian Payments Plus
May Lam is Chief Information Officer at Australian Payments Plus (AP+), with 25+ years experienced in technology leadership across banking, payments, fintech, and public sector in APAC. Chairing EPAA’s Advisory Board, serves on Hedera’s Governing Council, advises G20 on cross-border payments. Expertise spans payments ecosystems, enterprise agility, innovation, and strategic delivery, with prior roles at EY(Partner), CIO Assembly Payments, Chief Cust Officer MX51, Tech Executive at TfNSW, AMPBank

Irene Tsang
CEO and Founder, LIFTWOMEN
Irene Tsang is the Founder & CEO of LIFTWOMEN® Group, Asia-Pacific’s first women-focused crowdfunding platform and global network. With two decades of senior executive experience in finance, and having coached and funded thousands of women while activating millions in capital, Irene is dedicated to closing the gender finance gap by democratizing access to funding and opportunities for women worldwide.

Anish Sinha
Co-Founder & COO, upcover
Anish is the Co-founder & COO at upcover, Australia's fastest growing insurance platform, now trusted by 60,000+ small businesses, startups and scaleups. Before founding upcover, Anish was an early hire at a Sequoia backed services marketplace platform in India and helped scale to 10 million users, leading growth-product-marketing through to Series B and eventually exiting to India's largest fintech. Anish started his career as an equities analyst at Goldman Sachs and holds an engineering degree

Megan Burgess
Head of People and Operations, Citro
Megan is a business leader with over 25 years’ experience in people leadership within Banking and Financial Services, She is passionate about creating workplaces where everyone feels valued and people can thrive. She has led teams in both start-ups and established organisations, and brings practical insights to inspire leaders to build environments that bring out the best in their teams and their business.

Freya Smith
Chief Legal and People Officer, Cuscal
Freya joined Cuscal in October 2022 and is responsible for leading Cuscal’s legal and secretariat and people and culture functions. She has significant experience leading teams in complex and global organisations across various industries including payments, Fintech, financial services, insurtech, and emerging technologies.

Lauren McCormack
Chief Product Officer, Zip Co
Lauren McCormack has almost 20 years experience in the payments industry, and is currently the Chief Product Officer at Zip Co. In this role she leads the product management and product design teams. Lauren is committed to building exceptional products that resonate with customers and create lasting value.Lauren is passionate about diversity and inclusion, and believes that building diverse teams and leveraging each individual's unique strengths is the key to building great businesses.

Talis Putnins
Co-CEO and Chief Scientist, DFCRC
Dr Talis Putnins is Co-CEO and Chief Scientist of the Digital Finance CRC, an academic researcher in financial market design (Professor of Finance), and leads work on digital finance, real-world asset tokenization, and the future of market infrastructure.

Oliver Grocholewski
Senior Manager, APRA
Oliver Grocholewski is Senior Manager of the Payments and Licensing team at APRA. The team is responsible for APRA’s licensing framework and develop payments policy. He has held roles across supervision and credit risk. Prior to APRA, Oliver worked at the Bank of England.

Ross Buckley
Professor, UNSW
Ross Buckley is a Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow at UNSW Sydney where he leads a $3.7 million project into the regulation of FinTech. He serves on the Payments System Board of the RBA, and chairs the Digital Finance Advisory Panel, and serves on three other advisory panels, of ASIC.

Brendan Malone
Managing Director and CEO, Raiz Invest
Brendan Malone, Managing Director & CEO of Raiz Invest, has 25+ years in financial services, spanning RBS, ABN AMRO, and global financial hubs. Skilled in strategy, compliance, and operations, he drives innovation and transformation. He holds a Commerce degree and memberships with CIMA and AICD.

Sam Power
Chief Growth Officer, Abound
Sam is the Chief Growth Officer at Abound. Abound uses AI and Open Banking to increase access to fair credit. Launched in the UK in 2021, Abound's credit decisioning platform has powered over £1bn in lending. Abound is now live in the UK and Spain with more markets set to be announced later this year.

Daniel Jovevski
Founder & CEO, WeMoney
Dan Jovevski is the Founder & CEO of WeMoney, a fintech platform helping Australians improve their financial wellness. With a background in financial services and technology, he’s passionate about empowering people to take control of their money, reduce debt, and build better financial futures. He is also a strong advocate for the Consumer Data Right and open banking.

Loga Chandrakumar
Director, Investment Attraction Insights, Invest Victoria
Loga Chandrakumar is a senior public policy and investment leader with over two decades of experience shaping public policy, economic growth, and investment attraction across Australia and internationally. He currently leads major initiatives for the Victorian Government that position Melbourne as a hub for digital innovation and sustainable technology. At Invest Victoria Loga leads the strategy function identifying target sectors and supporting investment attraction.

Ed Barker
Principal, Square Peg
Ed grew up the London, surrounded by computers – building, upgrading, and (occasionally) breaking them. He began his career in IT support doing everything from problem-solving BSoDs to racking & stacking servers before joining BCG in Sydney.Ed now focuses on growth investments at Square Peg, after spending his first 4 years investing in Seed to Series B companies across Southeast Asia.

Chris Gillings
Venture Capital, Five V Capital
Chris has more than 15 years' experience in operating and investing roles across the US and Australia, with a focus on working in and investing in technology-focused private companies.Prior to joining Five V, Chris spent a decade in New York, where he held various operating roles at OnDeck and led Mastercard's startup investment and engagement program for North America. Before moving to the US, Chris was an investor at TDM Growth Partners and a member of KPMG's mergers and acquisitions team

Raaj Rayat
Principal, Airtree Ventures
Raaj is a Prinicpal Manager at Airtree, a venture capital firm backing Aussie and Kiwi founders building the iconic technology companies of tomorrow. He focuses on pre-seed to growth stage investments across Australia and New Zealand. He also serves on the boards of a number of Airtree portfolio companies.

Amanda Angelini
Executive, NAB Ventures
Amanda Angelini is the Managing Partner/Executive of NAB Ventures. Amanda has worked as an entrepreneur, investor and operator, spanning start-ups to the largest financial institutions and corporations. As a result, Amanda has developed a unique insight into the power of founders, strategic partnerships and how the right investors can drive value. Amanda has founded and led corporate teams and start-ups focused on sports and media innovation and fintech innovation, including Major League Soccer, Gannett's digital sports business and TaxDay. Amanda brings a large institution perspective to opportunities due to her extensive experience as an investment banker at Citi and an Entrepreneur-In-Residence for Citi Ventures D10X and Mastercard Innovation Lab. Prior to that, Amanda was an executive with First Data’s (Fiserv) Business Development team covering strategic clients and creating partnerships with payments and fintech start-ups and companies. She was also a manager of Commerce.Innovated, an accelerator in partnership with Silicon Valley Bank. Amanda started her career as an attorney at Milbank and Arnold Bloch Leibler. Amanda holds an LLB from Queensland University of Technology, and finance and marketing degrees from Securities Institute of Australia and New York University.

Trent Daniel
Chief Customer Officer, Azupay
Trent Daniel brings over a 20 years of experience in fintech, transaction banking and telco to his role as Azupay's Chief Customer Officer. Having held leadership roles at prominent organisations such as ANZ, Macquarie Group, Westpac, NAB, and Optus, Trent has a proven track record of driving innovation and delivering customer-focused solutions. His expertise in fostering strong client relationships and navigating complex payment ecosystems ensures Azupay continues to lead the way in real-time,

Adam Reed
Senior Payments Specialist, Linkly

Deanna Nixayathirath
Associate Director, GTM, NAB
An experienced financial services professional, with over 7 years payment working in payments, I am passionate about driving innovation and excited about bringing account to account payment options to more businesses and customers sooner. I enjoy fostering cross functional collaboration to deliver optimal value and better customer experiences.

Daniel Knight
Partner, K&L Gates
Dan Knight is a Partner at K&L Gates, advising fintechs for more than a decade. Dan specialises in regulatory and product launch across the fintech industry, including payments, lending, digital assets/crypto, open banking / CDR and others. He is passionate about making complex issues simple and providing scalable solutions to clients.

Elsa Markula
CEO, Arca
Elsa Markula is the CEO of Arca, the only industry association dedicated to making credit work for all Australians. Since joining Arca in 2013, Elsa has played a pivotal role in drafting industry codes and standards that improve data protection and make credit more visible, accessible, and easily understood.

Ben Cull
Director Information Technology, Pinch
Hi, I'm Ben! I'm passionate about software development and the payments industry, and I've managed to combine the two into a startup I co-founded called Pinch. I'm always keen to chat and meet new people and I love a good beer, so feel free to hit me up if you're in Melbourne.

Ewen Hollingsworth
Co-Founder, Spark Finance
Ewen is the Co-Founder of Spark Finance, an Australia fintech company that enables access to education by providing financial assistance for international students. Previously he was a management consultant, focusing on the Higher Education and Financial Services sectors, and a lawyer practicing commercial litigation. He has an MBA from Oxford University and BA/LLB from the ANU.

Parth Gulati
Co-Founder & CEO, Gather
Parth Gulati is CEO & Co-Founder of Gather, the all-in-one platform for personal and family wealth. A former Finder product executive, he’s on a personal mission to eliminate financial anxiety from the world. He's also a Director at Young Change Agents, a social enterprise helping 200,000+ school kids turn problems into opportunities through hands-on entrepreneurial projects.

Graham McCorkill
Head of Ecosystem, Stone & Chalk
Graham is an experienced entrepreneur, startup coach and mentor, with leadership roles in several private and public companies. He has founded or co-founded 8 successful startups. Graham joined Stone & Chalk as a mentor in 2018, then full-time in 2022 where he is Head of Ecosystem for Victoria. With over 35 years in business, innovation and technology, Graham has a deep understanding of what a startups founder needs at every stage of growth.

The Hon Tim Wilson MP
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations & Employment and Small Business, Federal Liberal Member for Goldstein
Tim Wilson is the Federal Member for Goldstein, the Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations & Employment and Shadow Minister for Small Business. He formerly served as Assistant Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction and before Parliament served as Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner. He is the only person in electoral history to have lost a seat to an Independent and retaken it.

Katrina Stuart
Executive Sponsor, Move to NPP, Australian Payments Plus
Katrina Stuart works at Australian Payments Plus (AP+) as executive sponsor for the industry programme of work focusing on modernising Australia’s payments and migrating payments to the NPP. Prior to the formation of AP+, Katrina was Head of Engagement at NPP Australia working with financial institutions and fintechs to grow volumes and services on the NPP. Katrina has also worked for American Express in Sydney, Singapore and London, and started her career at Booz Allen & Hamilton.

James Sibbick
Director, Security Solutions, Mastercard
Am experienced lead in the fraud, risk and cybersecurity space, James has worked with enterprise & startups across multiple regions to assist in navigating regulatory challenges and implement security strategies to protect organisations and consumers alike.

Kym Whitford
Head of Asia Pacific, Remitly
Kym Whitford is Head of Asia Pacific at Remitly, a global digital remittance company. She has over 15 years of leadership experience across financial services, fintech, retail trade, and management consulting, with particular expertise in strategy, growth, and regulatory engagement. A former commercial litigation lawyer and experienced non-executive director, Kym also serves on boards in the not-for-profit sector.

Stuart Stoyan
Executive Director, agPAY
Stuart Stoyan is an investor, advisor and serial entrepreneur with expertise in fintech, lending and open data. Stuart has specific expertise in scaling technology-enabled businesses, driving operational efficiency and delivering brilliant customer experiences. Stuart was the founder and CEO of MoneyPlace and a co-founder of web agency Bland Consulting. He is the former Chair of Fintech Australia and currently serves as Executive Director of agPAY and Chair of Pathways Digital.

Katie Heathcote
Associate Director Export, Investment NSW
Katie has worked in international trade and investment for over 10 years. Katie has worked at UKDIT and Austrade to take on a fintech advisor role promoting Australian capability across the globe. During her time at Austrade, Katie received an Australia day medallion for her work in Fintech.Katie joined Investment NSW in July 2021 to form a newly created Tech focused exports team as the Associate Director Export Technology, Katie now leads a dedicated export advisory team.

Luke Howes
CEO, Sequential
Luke was a co-founder of Proviso, the largest bank data aggregator in AU/NZ. After the company was acquired by illion, he started angel investing and founded the private credit fund Rixon Capital. Luke is now co-CEO of Sequential, a fintech platform for banks and lenders to manage securitisation and treasury operations and reporting.

James Teodorini
Head of Asia Pacific, Thunes
James Teodorini is the Head of Asia Pacific at Thunes, where he leads the company’s regional growth from its headquarters in Singapore. With a strong track record in driving commercial initiatives, James brings extensive expertise in cross-border payments and financial technology.Before joining Thunes, James also led the Asia Pacific sales team for Visa Direct, managing business growth across its cross-border payments product suite.

Daniel Travini
Head of Technology, Revolut Expansion, Revolut
As Revolut’s Tech Lead for Expansion, Daniel Travini oversees the technical and operational delivery of new entities in global markets. Formerly Head of Technology for Revolut Australia, he led the migration of 650k+ customers to a new payments platform, built APRA and AUSTRAC-compliant reporting infrastructure, and established a high-performing multi-disciplinary team. He has also held varying roles at First Data, eftpos, and 86 400.

Camilla Bullock
CEO, Emerging Payments Association Asia
Camilla Bullock, CEO and Co-Founder of the Emerging Payments Association Asia (EPAA), advances the payments landscape by fostering collaboration and driving innovation across APAC and globally. With experience at Reuters, she champions cross-border interoperability and leads MHSK Payments, while mentoring the next generation to shape a more inclusive, connected financial ecosystem.

Elyse Adams
Partner, Allens
Elyse is a tech and data partner at Allens with extensive experience in fintech and payments. Elyse is also Co-Head of the Allens Accelerate startup, scale up and high-growth companies practice. Elyse regularly works with clients from across the spectrum on their adoption or deployment of fintech. Her experience spans the breath of the sector from infrastructure providers to traditional ecosystem participants to newer digital entrants looking to disrupt the status quo.

Andy Rigg
Chief Customer Officer, Australia Settlement Limited (Banking Circle Group)
Senior Executive with global experience in business creation and transformation. A passion for leadership of teams and business challenges of all sizes. Leads from the heart with creativity authenticity and passion. Paying to win with the customer experience and revenue as the driver. Revenue growth delivered for 20 years plus in diverse business environments and delivery channels.

Benjamin Moir
FSI Head of AI Solutions, Amazon Web Services
Ben Moir is an Australian engineering pioneer and innovation leader. From founding product design ventures and launching Australia’s first MIT FabLab to creating a global wearable-tech brand, he has spent his career exploring the edge of the possible. Today, at AWS, he helps enterprise business harness cloud and AI to improve citizens lives.

James Woodward
CEO, Australia / NZ, Bolt Group
James has 25 years’ financial services experience across Asia Pacific and EMEA. He spent 20+ years at State Street in regional and global leadership roles spanning capital markets, treasury, payments, and trading. Now at Bolt, he builds scalable infrastructure enabling individuals and businesses to move and invest money globally.

Kateryna Occhiutto
Head of Policy & Insights, AusPayNet
As Head of Policy & Insights at AusPayNet, and with experience at the RBA and APRA, Kateryna drives industry collaboration on payments innovation and regulatory reform. She is currently leading various initiatives on the responsible adoption of AI in payments, and is particularly passionate about how AI is reshaping work, learning, and broader society.

Hannah Glass
Special Counsel, Ashurst
Hannah is a Special Counsel in Ashurst's international financial regulatory team. She advises clients from start-ups to ASX 50 companies & government on evolving legal issues across fintech & regtech, to bring new products to market.Since 2014, Hannah has been a leading voice in fintech policy developments, including for payments, DLT & CDR. She sits on the Project Acacia Industry Advisory Group & represents the Law Council of Australia on Standards Australia's IT-041 on Blockchain and DLT.

Annie Jiang
Director Investments, Asia & MENA, Invest Victoria
Annie Jiang is the Director for Investment, Asia and MENA at Invest Victoria, the State Government of Victoria’s investment attraction agency. She leads a team of regional specialists to secure strategic foreign investment and support international businesses to expand in Victoria. With a strong background in the Victorian Public Service, Annie has held senior roles across investment strategy, legal, infrastructure development, and asset management.

Mary Overington
Trade and Investment Commissioner, Austrade
Mary is Austrade’s Trade and Investment Commissioner for South Asia, based in Mumbai. Mary’s focus areas include supporting tcommercial investment into Australia, particularly in the technology sector. Mary is also Austrade South Asia’s Diversity and Inclusion Champion and enjoys supporting and celebrating diversity in such a dynamic and fast-growing region.

Brad Goodall
CEO and Co-Founder, Banked
Technologist and entrepreneur Brad Goodall built Banked alongside co-founder Neil Ambler with a vision to re-imagine mainstream payment methods and the infrastructure facilitating digital payments around the world.CEO Brad Goodall began his career in Australia’s finance sector, later moving to London where he co-founded 10X Banking. In 2019, Neil and Brad launched Banked, now the leading Pay by Bank platform of choice for major banks and merchants around the world.

David Greene
Chief Commercial Officer, Monoova
One of Australia’s top payments experts, with 15+ years of experience in financial services, payments, & treasury management. As CCO at Monoova, he leads commercial strategy, partnerships & the expansion of high-volume payment solutions.Previously, David held senior leadership roles at PayPal & AFEX, specialising in treasury solutions, cross-border payments, and financial markets. A trusted industry leader, he has driven product innovation, regulatory navigation and large-scale transformations

Riley James
Co-Founder & CEO, SuperAPI.com.au
Riley is co-founder & CEO of SuperAPI, a technology platform making Payday Super an achievable goal for payroll & HR software platforms.SuperAPI offers embeddable employee onboarding experiences that focus on compliance & automation to get employers ready for Payday Super. Integrated super stapling, member validation & real time payments are the silver bullet to solve the challenges employers and their software platforms face with meeting the requirements of Payday Super.

Thiya Reddy
Founder & CEO, Payroo Australia
Thiya Reddy, Founder & CEO of Payroo, leads a modern payroll infrastructure platform simplifying payroll for Australian businesses. With a fintech and product strategy background, she is passionate about solving complex challenges through technology. Under her leadership, Payroo has become a full-stack platform for employers and embedded partners, delivering payroll, super, compliance, and financial wellbeing, making payday a joyful experience for all.

Jamie Twiss
CEO, Carrington Labs
Jamie Twiss is a banker and data scientist who works at the intersection of data science, artificial intelligence, and consumer lending. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Carrington Labs, a startup that builds next-generation credit-risk models for lenders, as well as its parent company, Beforepay Group (ASX: B4P). Previously, he was the Chief Data Officer at Westpac Group in Australia, along with other roles at Westpac, Commbank, and McKinsey & Company.

Leann Jones
CEO, Nimo Industries
Leann Jones, CEO and co-founder of Nimo Industries, leads digital transformation in lending and banking with a platform built for Australia’s regulated environment. With a background in organisational psychology and leading transformation, she blends tech and culture to drive innovation, inclusion and sustainable change across the FinTech ecosystem.

James Goodwin
Chief Growth Officer, Wisr
James is Wisr's Chief Growth Officer, leading its growth function across marketing, sales, strategic partnerships, communications and customer experience. With over 15 years of experience in advertising and marketing, James is responsible for delivering Wisr’s purpose-led brand strategy and customer experience-first approach. He has extensive experience in the financial services sector, working with brands including Bankwest, ING and American Express.

Anna Hawter
Deputy CEO, Lumi
Named 2025 Finnies Outstanding Leader of the Year, Anna Hawter is Deputy CEO at Lumi, a leading Australian SME fintech lender. A thought leader in SME capital delivery, digital underwriting, and platform-led distribution, she is driving the shift from finance as a destination to an always-on utility, embedding lending into SaaS, marketplaces, and platforms to solve SMEs’ capital access challenges at the point of need.

Jane Maginness
Senior Associate, DLA Piper
Jane is an experienced corporate transactions lawyer with a primary focus on the technology sector. Jane acts for tech companies, venture capital firms, private equity firms and other institutional investors. Her work spans all stages of the corporate life cycle, including early-stage investments, capital raisings and exits.

Maximilian Marenbach
COO, Damisa
Maximilian Marenbach is a seasoned fintech executive and blockchain veteran currently serving as COO and Co-founder of Damisa, a next-generation payments platform that combines blockchain technology with traditional rails.

Katrina Donaghy
APAC CEO & Co-Founder, Water Ledger Australia
Katrina Donaghy is the ASEAN Regional CEO of Water Ledger Australia, a subsidiary of Water Ledger Global, leading blockchain-based innovation in sustainable water management. With a strong background in digital transformation and blockchain, she is recognised for driving systemic change in complex ecosystems. Prior to co-founding Water Ledger Global in 2024, Katrina co-founded Civic Ledger, an award-winning Australian company that advanced transparency and trust in public sector systems.

James Coombes
Director & CCO, Block Earner
After founding s fixed income fund bridging the gap between traditional and decentralised finance, James joined forces with Block Earner. Block Earner is Australia's largest crypto-backed lender on track to write $100m in loans this FY. James is passionate entrepreneur, dedicates Sydney Swans supporter and casual gamer.

Maha El Dimachki
Centre Head - Singapore Centre, BIS Innovation Hub
Maha is Centre Head of the BIS Innovation Hub Singapore, leading projects that harness technology to support central banks in the digital economy. Previously at the UK’s FCA, she set up the Payments Department and later led Early & High Growth Oversight in response to the Kalifa Review. She also served as Chief Payments Officer at Pay.UK. Author of Fintech Regulation in Practice, she focuses on safe and responsible innovation.

Dolly Brtan
State Chair, Australian Computer Society
Dolly Brtan is the CEO of Banxly Investment Group, a fund management platform delivering end-to-end licensing, trustee, and compliance solutions for investment managers looking to create, launch, and scale managed investment schemes.She also serves as the State Chair for Victoria at the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and sits on the ACS Blockchain Technical Advisory Board, contributing to the advancement of emerging technologies and digital asset governance.

Samantha Horton
COO & Head of International, Syfe
Samantha is the COO and Head of International at Syfe, Asia’s leading digital wealth management platform built to empower people to build their wealth for a better future. She led Syfe’s landmark acquisition of ASX-listed Selfwealth which established Syfe as the first Singapore-based digital wealth platform to enter Australia. Samantha has been instrumental in scaling Syfe’s business to over US$10 BN in AUM and nearly half a million investors.

Jill Berry
CEO & Co-Founder, Adatree
Jill Berry is the multi-award-winning CEO and co-founder of Adatree, an Australian fintech at the forefront of the CDR. As a pioneer of the CDR since 2019, Adatree is now Australia’s leading technology provider for Recipients, enabling many startups, enterprises and even the Australian government to access Open Banking & Open Energy. In early 2024 it was acquired by Fat Zebra, Australia's leading eCommerce payments provider, where Jill sits on the Leadership Team.

Simone Joyce
CEO, Paypa Plane
Simone Joyce is the CEO/Founder of Paypa Plane. Simone is also a director on the board of AusPayNet and an Advisor to Fintech Australia. Founded in 2018, Paypa Plane pioneered Smart Payment Agreements™ and rail agnostic Payment Agreement Tokens. Today, Paypa Plane counts major Australian banks and global brands amongst its shareholders and clients.

Tim Aman
Global Fintech Leader, BDO Australia
Tim Aman is BDO’s Global Leader for Fintech and National Leader for Financial Services in Australia. With over 30 years’ experience across the US, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Australia, he advises clients from startups to major financial institutions to navigate regulation, reporting, and risk

















