FinTech Australia has announced key executive board appointments to ‘ensure it represents the best interests’ of the country’s fintech and payments sector.
The new members of the trade association’s board are Sarah Gorman, Head of Growth & Marketing at DAS (Digital Agriculture Services), who will serve as Deputy Chair.
Additionally, Kellie Morton, Chief Legal Officer & Director at Birchal; Vinnie D’Alessandro, Chief Product Officer at Change Financial; and Brian Collins, Principal at Audacity Ventures, have also taken on roles at Fintech Australia’s leadership.
Also announced were upcoming leadership changes, with Chair Simone Joyce – CEO and Co-Founder of Paypa Plane – due to stand down her position in 2024, handing over to an as-yet-unconfirmed new Chair.
Joyce remarked: “It’s an honour to continue to serve as FinTech Australia’s chair as the sector continues to mature, evolve and meet the challenges of funding uncertainty and broader global economic headwinds.
“While membership continues to grow and FinTech Australia is engaging with its members in more ways than ever before, we decided that a transition period would be best instead of a straight handover.
“My key goal in this period is to ensure a smooth handover to a new Chair to pick up the reins and hit the ground running.”
Meanwhile, Christian Westerlind Wigstrom, Co-Founder and CEO of Monova, has been appointed Treasurer of the trade body. Marie Mortimer, Managing Director at loans.com.au, will vacate the Board, following the departure of Archa Founder, Oliver Kidd, earlier this year.
The remaining board members consist of Dominic Pym, Co-founder of Up and Co-founder and Director of Euphemia; Michael Saadat, International Head of Public Policy at Block; Harry Godber, Head of Strategy and General Counsel at Flare; and Cathryn Lyall, Partner, Seed Space VC and Co-Founder of Seed Money.
The changes to FinTech Australia’s senior leadership come at a time of continuing development for both the fintech sector within the country and internationally.
Notable developments this year have seen continued probing of blockchain and cryptocurrency by both private actors and regulators.
In October, Mastercard announced that it had developed solutions for a potential pilot of an Australian Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), and the following month the Australian Treasury detailed plans for new regulations of cryptocurrency.
Meanwhile, developments in the country’s gambling industry could also pose changes for the payments sector – perhaps most significantly, the Australian government seems set on banning credit payments for betting.
Rehan D’Almeida, General Manager of FinTech Australia, said: “We thank Marie and Oliver for their contributions to FinTech Australia. Our board is incredibly hands-on, in some ways acting as an extension of our team.
“We’re grateful for all of their work and their continued guidance on our operations. Australian fintechs are punching above its weight globally, and we aim to continue representing and showcasing the innovation in the industry.”
