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