Speakers

A "burglar" for hire and entertaining educator, she has spent a lifetime talking her way into secure locations, protecting clients from scammers, and leading simulated criminal attacks on organisations of all sizes in order to help secure money, data and information from malicious attacks.

Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Radcliffe uses a combination of anecdotes, science, and humour to share lessons that help executives better read people and understand social clues, use subtle tactics to persuade others during negotiations, open up avenues of conversation that were formerly shut, and understand and protect against their own vulnerabilities.

Jenny has received many industry awards and was most recently inducted into the prestigious InfoSec Hall of Fame in 2022.  She has also been named as one of the top 30 female cyber security leaders in 2022 by SC Magazine, one of the top 25 Women in Cyber by IT Security Guru, and as a Top 50 Women of Influence in Cyber in 2019.  She was nominated in seven categories for the 2021 Security Serious Awards in 2021 including the prestigious “Godmother of Security” award in 2020 winning the “Most Educational Security Blog" for her show The Human Factor podcast interviewing industry leaders, bloggers, experts, fellow social engineers and con-artists about all elements of security and preventing people from becoming victims of malicious social engineering.

Jenny is a sought-after global keynote speaker at major conferences and corporate events and is a multiple TEDx contributor. A go-to guest expert on the human element of security, scams, cons and hacks, she has appeared on numerous television and radio shows, as well as online media and traditional press outlets, and helps create unique content for international brands and organisations. An experienced podcast host, panel chair and interviewer she hosted the live weekly cyber talkshow "Teiss Talk" for two years and is frequently asked to chair live events for clients both virtually and in-person.

Jenny is the author of the book "People Hacker: Confessions of a Burglar for Hire", published by Simon and Schuster in Europe in February 23.

Dom's been involved in software, web, and mobile development for over 20 years from startups to global enterprises in Australia, the UK, the USA, and throughout Asia.

Amidst a growing neobank scene, Up was the first to launch in Australia in October 2018, and has since been the #1 rated banking app and twice voted most trusted bank in Australia, amassing over 800,000 very happy customers.

Dom serves as an advisory board member for Ferocia and Up at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, and he’s also a board member at Fintech Australia.

During 2022, Dom received coveted industry awards such as “Outstanding Fintech Leader of the Year” (at the Finnies), “Fintech Leader of the Year” (at the Australian Fintech Awards), and “C-Suite 2022” (at the Pause Awards).

Dom has recently launched his own family office (Euphemia) from which he mentors, advises, and invests in founders and startups globally.

As the Chief Business Officer at Yuno, a fast-growing fintech startup, she leverages her expertise in new business development, client experience, and strategy to expand Yuno's reach and impact across markets and segments.

Carol's passion for empowering growth and innovation stems from her diverse and distinguished career at some of the world's leading technology and finance companies, such as Citi, Northwestern Mutual, Ant Group, and Google. She has been recognised for her excellence in leadership, product development, and partnership deals, and has been invited to speak at prestigious events and forums on AI, commerce, and payments innovation.

She is also a dedicated investor and mentor for early-stage startups, especially those focused on fintech, digital transformation, and social impact. Carol is committed to driving financial inclusion and invention for billions of people, and to championing women and community development.

Since then he has started multiple business and has worked closely with hundreds of entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses.

He is the cofounder of Startupbootcamp FinTech, the world’s largest fintech startup accelerator and the Innotribe Startup Challenge, the first global fintech startup competition. He also cofounded The Future Farm, a global community dedicated to healthier entrepreneurship.

His latest venture is Radish Credit, a lending platform, helping underserved communities to finance important life needs.

Driven by entrepreneurship, collaboration and the desire to improve the lives of people, Nektarios is a global nomad, travel geek, and sneaker freaker.

Additionally, Avalon runs community enrichment, educational engagements and consultations geared to safeguarding the integrity of the financial system against evolving financial crime risks through awareness. She has 12 years’ experience in FCC, starting her career at Dow Jones managing sub-Saharan Africa. Following which she joined Swift in 2016 covering the UKI & Nordic markets.

In the years away from Swift, she joined a Regtech startup that focused on elements of AI and Natural Language Processing delivering a multisource KYC platform to the banking sector. Avalon sat on the board of the Regtech sub-committee of the Singapore Fintech Association 2020-2021 and is regular industry commentator at FCC events across the region.

Toby facilitates the Economic Crime Forum and participates in the National Anti-Scams Centre fusion cell work groups. Before joining AusPayNet, Toby had a 20-year career in international & domestic intelligence, anti-corruption, and law enforcement.

Brenton is also the co-founder of Open Finance, which looks to further open finance in Australia and New Zealand, a Payments NZ API Council Member, and a member of the DSB Data Standards Advisory Committee.

He is a qualified Chartered Accountant, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds degrees from University of South Australia, and has studied innovation, management and strategy at Stanford University.

In her current role as Head of Payments APAC, Go To Market Julie leads the payments business in the APAC region driving the adoption and usage of strategic services to enable frictionless payments across the SWIFT community. This includes gpi services such as SWIFT Go, Pre-Validation and gCase in addition to supporting payments infrastructure transformation programs such as the ISO 20022 program and Transaction Manager.

Previously, Julie spent 25+ years at Westpac, where she held senior leadership positions including Head of Receivables Products, Head of GTS Product Delivery Asia, Director Payments (including NPP), and Head of Risk, Regulatory and Financial Crime Programs and Transformation.

Rick is highly experienced at identifying and overcoming competing interests and navigating industry and regulatory challenges to create compelling solutions for customers.

Rick’s background spans product development, ecosystem design and corporate partnerships, underpinned by corporate strategy and M&A foundations from roles in Australia, the UK and Asia.

His expertise in digital ecosystems, financial inclusion, and purpose-driven innovation has significantly shaped the payment landscape across the country. Khairuan's leadership in transformative projects like JomPAY and DuitNow in Malaysia exemplifies his ability to drive electronic payment adoption and profitability in complex financial environments.

In his current roles, Khairuan is expanding his influence throughout the region, focusing on innovative merchant solutions, real-time payment systems, and Shariah-compliant payment processors. His vision centres on creating sustainable, inclusive financial ecosystems that leverage technology to serve diverse markets in the region. With a degree in Accounting and executive education from Säid Business School University of Oxford, Khairuan is a sought-after thought leader and speaker. He actively contributes to international dialogues on the future of financial technology and cross-border payment solutions, aiming to bridge gaps in financial literacy and drive innovation across international markets.

With extensive experience across global markets, including Singapore, Australia, Korea, Japan, and India, Manish has successfully led diverse teams and driven large-scale sales growth. Prior to joining Worldline, Manish worked at Stripe where he led key industry vertical solutions and developed the ‘Art of the Possible’ framework, helping clients embed financial services to accept payments. His partnerships with global consultancies like Accenture and Deloitte contributed to the acquisition of several high-profile clients in the automotive, FMCG, and insurance sectors. Manish also established mentoring programs at Stripe, helping employees advance their careers, earning him recognition for his leadership in this area.

Previously, Manish held senior roles at Amazon Web Services, VMware, and Microsoft. At Microsoft, he played a pivotal role in building a program to scale cloud sales; that program has been adopted as best practice. Microsoft’s Partner Leadership Conclave (PLC) continues to generate significant new business opportunities.

Manish has an Engineering Degree from the University of Pune in India. He is a naturalised Australian and been working in Singapore for over 20 years. Passionate about mentoring, Manish volunteers as a career advisor at WSG.GOV.SG under their CAPO program in Singapore and continues to support emerging talent within the companies he works for. His career is a testament to his ability to foster growth, innovation, and success in both technology and financial sectors.

Ben has more than 25 years’ experience in financial services across the UK and Australia. Prior to Visa, Ben spent 2 years at Telstra as General Manager, Solution Design & Delivery, leading a large customer experience transformation program as well as 16 years’ at GE Capital across risk management, marketing, client consulting and operations

With more than 25 years' international experience in the financial services industry across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the United States and United Kingdom, Ryan has led significant and complex growth and transformational change initiatives across multiple functions and businesses in financial services, and has a deep passion for harnessing the power of technology to improve the way we live and work.

Prior to joining Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Ryan held executive responsibility for key portfolios, including enterprise-wide transformation, technology, strategy, operations and risk at ANZ. Ryan holds a Masters in Finance from London Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance. He is also a graduate of the Executive Leadership of Major Projects Program from the University of Sydney and is a member of the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand and a member of the Australian Institute of Directors.

Ryan is also a Non-Executive Director of Australian Payments Plus, supporting the ongoing sustainability of Australia’s payment systems, and sits on the Advisory Committee for the School of Project Management at the University of Sydney.   

WeMoney's mission is to leverage Open Banking and empower young adults to achieve their financial dreams and assist them in tackling personal debt and home ownership aspirations. WeMoney is the largest consumer platform leveraging Open Banking in Australia, with over 850,000 downloads since launching in 2020.

Dan is a second time fintech founder, he's passionate about reducing financial inequality and is big believer that regulatory intervention can solve some the biggest challenges of financial literacy.

Dan holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Curtin University, MBA from University of Western Australia, where he did part of his MBA at Harvard University studying Behavioural Economics.

Scott is an Adjunct Professor at the UNSW Sydney Law School, serves on the Payments System Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and chairs the global ISO technical committee developing standards for blockchain technologies. Scott is now the Strategic Counsel at international law firm King & Wood Mallesons, having been a senior partner for many years.

From IDs to training certificates, cultural heritage to health records, and Indigenous family lineage, Jason is the brains behind Hold Access. Enter WunaID, a cutting-edge Indigenous ID tech inspired by ancient message sticks, geared to level up First Peoples' service experience over 250 years. WunaID empowers individuals in far-flung areas to take the reins on their data when access is scarce. This two world solution blends Indigenous values with service inclusivity, smashing barriers for data sharing between organizations.

He is the author of two books from Cambridge University Press, "OWNED: Property, Privacy, and the New Digital Serfdom" (2017) and "Runaway Technology: Can Law Keep Up?" (2021). His articles on digital payments, digital property, cryptocurrency, and protecting consumer interests in an age of mass-market consumer contracting regularly appear in top law and law-and-technology journals. His policy pieces on consumer protection and technology have appeared in the New York Times, Forbes, and the Financial Times, among other outlets. Before entering the law, Professor Fairfield was a technology entrepreneur, serving as the director of research and development for language-learning software company Rosetta Stone.

Professor Fairfield consults with U.S. government agencies, including the White House Office of Technology, the Conference of State Banking Supervisors, IARPA, ODNI, the NSA, and the Homeland Security Privacy Office, on national security, privacy, and misuse of banking systems for terrorist finance. From 2009 to 2012, he provided privacy and civil liberties oversight for Intelligence Advance Research Project Activity (IARPA) research programs in virtual worlds. In 2012-13 he was awarded a Fulbright Grant to study trans-Atlantic privacy law at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn, Germany, and a Fernand Braudel Fellowship to study the future of law at the European University Institute in 2019. He was elected a member of the American Law Institute in 2013.

Jamie is also the Regional Director of FDATA Australasia, a Global Trade Association providing membership services to the Open Data ecosystem, and the founder of Open Data Australia. With a strong background in finance and economics, Jamie is dedicated to advancing data policy, privacy, digital identity and governance. She provides strategic advice to both public and private sectors and is a staunch advocate for effective data policy and fraud reduction. Additionally, she serves as a Strategic Advisor to Smarter Contracts, Chair of the International Advisory Committee for the University of Melbourne CSDILA, and is the Board Chair of Queensland -based energy tech firm, GridQube.

Jamie has been instrumental in shaping the Consumer Data Right (CDR) in Australia and New Zealand, which aims to empower consumers by giving them greater control over their data. Her work has significantly contributed to the development of open banking, open data and digital identity in the region.

His robust experience spans key roles at American Express, GE, Cuscal, and ASL, where he has consistently driven exceptional value for his customers. Focused on innovative strategies and meticulous execution, Trent has notably strengthened market capability and positioning in the banking and financial service sectors. His leadership is characterized by a profound commitment to delivering customer outcomes and experiences, solidifying his status as a true customer-centric leader in the industry.

This dedication to serving her community led to the creation of DigiTautua, an initiative where Eteroa and her team refurbished and fundraised for devices to bridge the digital divide. Building on this mission, she co-founded Fibre Fale in 2022, a purpose-driven collective aimed at creating pathways for Pacific people in tech.

Her leadership and contributions to the community and tech industry have earned her significant recognition, including the Hi-Tech NZ Awards for Young Achiever, Young IT Professional of the Year 2021, Prime Minister’s Award for STEM 2019, Young Women of Influence Nominee 2019, ASB Good as Gold recipient, MacDiarmid
Institute Discovery Award, and being named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for Social
Impact.

Fibre Fale is a purpose-led collective co-founded by Eteroa and Julia Arnott-Neenee.
Together, they design and deliver programs and platforms that build skills, foster
belonging, and offer support to Pacific people at every stage of their tech journey. Their work ranges from immersive tech experiences to sharing the stories of Pacific tech trailblazers, all while creating spaces for connection, learning, and growth.

As young Pacific leaders, Eteroa and Julia are on a mission to ensure Pacific people
achieve digital equity, confidently pursue pathways in technology, and see themselves as future creators in the digital landscape

He kicked off his career in investment management, consulting and research and went on to launch a number of pioneering fintech initiatives. Following a successful business sale, he spent some years leading business development and corporate strategy for a global firm. He then helped establish the fintech and innovation capability for the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) in New Zealand and was inaugural Chair of the digital and innovation forum of the Council of Financial Regulators. He then helped set up the digital assets (crypto and blockchain) team at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, as Head of Department.

Binu qualified as an engineer, completed an MBA and trained at the Wharton business school. He is an NZTE Beachhead Advisor to Kiwi tech business in the UK.

He is a specialist in driving technological and organisational change in complex industrial and societal 'systems of systems', with a long history of involvement in Critical National Infrastructure innovation and renewal.

His experience spans project and program management, LOB ownership, Marketing, Strategy, Business Development and Commercialization. Matt is at his best working with partners, clients, prospects, and C-Level executives across top global banks to bring them together towards common goals. He has run large modernization initiatives covering consolidation of cards platforms in US, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

In his current role, Matt heads up the team of product specialists spanning all Banking Solutions products across APAC and EMEA.

Matt is a gifted public speaker and regularly present to senior leadership, clients and conferences. On top of all of this, he is able to communicate in a way that brings people “along for the ride”. His ability to take complex issues and concepts and communicate them at every level.

Rob’s experience is anchored around his background in consulting and traverses go-to-market and business strategy, product management, solution consulting, business development, and project and program management.

In his current role, Rob is a solution consultant within FIS banking solutions, broadly responsible for growth and go to market initiatives, and specifically around consulting with clients to align the right solutions to the right problems.

Rob is comfortable communicating at all levels and frequently presents at conferences, leadership forums, and to clients. His ability to speak to complex subjects in a simple and easy to understand way is one of his key communication strengths.

Although she is not your typical career banker, Jennifer's journey has been diverse. Before her appointment as CEO of BCI in July 2023, she spent nearly a decade outside of traditional banking. Although Jennifer started her banking career with ANZ in 2001 and held numerous roles across most areas of banking in both the Cook Islands and Australian offices, in 2007, she left the 9-to-5 banking world to set up and operate family businesses in the tourism industry. However, within a few years, she found her way back into the financial services sector, initially as a Board Director of BCI from 2011 to 2012, serving as the Pa Enua representative. This was followed by nearly a decade of consultancy services from 2014, during which Jennifer held roles as a consultant, trainer, and technical advisor for BCI. Her work included engagement with key stakeholders and implementing new technologies, policies, and programs in alignment with regulations, national policies and plans.

Jennifer is an advocate for continuous education, holding a range of both industry and tertiary qualifications in Finance, FX, and Sustainable Finance. She is also the current Chairperson of the Association of Development Finance Institutes of the Pacific (ADFIP).

Jennifer is passionate about her culture and community and has held numerous voluntary positions within educational and sporting communities and teams. This is one of the reasons why being at the helm of the ‘People's Bank,’ as BCI is known, is such a strong values fit for her.

Bank of the Cook Islands is a State Owned Enterprise established through legislation in 2001.  Being the only locally owned bank in the Cook Islands, BCI continues to serve customers from across the country, with nearly 100 employees and the largest branch banking network in the Cook Islands. Our vision, as the People’s Bank, is to nurture the financial well-being of our people, contributing to a legacy of prosperity and sustainability, all while remaining in harmony with our culture and environment. This drives everything we do, ensuring that our operations are deeply connected to the values and aspirations of the Cook Islands community.

In the past he has held Opposition portfolios for revenue, small business, manufacturing, commerce & consumer affairs, infrastructure, building & construction, and statistics. He was a Member of the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee from 2014 to 2023, making him the longest continuous serving member of that committee since its establishment.

Andrew was elected to Parliament at the 2014 general election where he had the fourth highest majority of all electorate seats in New Zealand. He was re-elected in the 2017, 2020 and 2023 elections (including a by-election in 2023) maintaining a large majority vote each time.

In his professional life prior to Parliament, Andrew qualified as a chartered accountant. He has been a merchant banker and a former officer in the New Zealand Army Territorials, and also served in the British Parachute Regiment. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London.

Andrew comes from a farming background. Prior to becoming an MP, he worked in the private sector and has owned and/or been a director of multiple companies in a wide cross-section of industries.

He is an adventurer and mountain climber, who has walked and dragged sledges to both Antarctic and Arctic poles.

Tim is a renowned speaker on issues focused around the Trade Wars. He is regularly consulted on international trade matters in academic circles and is currently working with Yale University on an upcoming book on this topic.

He has an extensive experience undertaking complex competition analysis in a wide range of sectors, including energy, transport, agriculture, telecommunications, payment systems, and construction. John was also previously a lay member of the High Court of New Zealand, frequently called as an expert witness before courts, tribunals and commissions. John is the Chair of the Commerce Commission’s Market Studies Division, and is a member of the Retail Payment Systems, Commerce Act, and Grocery Divisions.

He is an accomplished speaker and translator of te reo. His early work history included jobs in forestry, the freezing works, as well as roles as a rangatahi (youth) community officer and Māori Affairs trades training scheme manager. He began his long career as a broadcaster and reporter at Te Karere in 1986, before going on to many other Māori media roles. Rereata is reverred in te ao Māori for his extensive ancestral knowledge and practice and was Kiwibank Senior New Zealander of the Year in 2022. A leading authority on maramataka – the Māori lunar calendar - he is passionate about passing on knowledge of te taiao (the environment) and traditional practices to new generations.

In her most recent role as MD Retail and Business Banking, Antonia was responsible for the network of retail branches, contact centres and banking specialists who take care of over two million consumer and small business customers.

Antonia joined ANZ from Morgan Stanley, where she was General Manager of their business services and technology centre in Budapest and had various finance roles in Sydney and London. She started her career at KPMG.

She has more than 25 years’ experience working in financial services and prior to joining Westpac, Catherine led large-scale transformations at some of the world’s best known banks including Barclays Group and Lloyds TSB in the UK. Earlier in her career she worked at BNZ, ASB and the Prudential Group.

Catherine was raised in New Zealand. She graduated from Canterbury University with a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Commerce.

Prior to joining TSB, Kerry held a number of senior roles in financial services. She brings more than 17 years' banking experience in senior roles at ASB Bank and Kiwibank. Most recently she held an executive role at Southern Cross Health Society, as Director, CareHQ and Chief Sales, Marketing & Customer Experience Officer.

Kerry’s deep banking and financial services background spans both retail and small business banking, where she has held numerous roles from leading customer facing teams in branches and contact centres, all the way through to product, marketing, running agile teams and delivering risk and compliance projects.

“I have long admired the TSB brand and its focus on benefitting the communities it serves, so it’s an absolute honour to be CEO of a company that genuinely delivers great service and cares about its people.”

Kerry holds an Executive MBA (Honours) from the University of Auckland.

Leading a team of more than 5,900 people, Vittoria is focused on accelerating progress for all New Zealanders. This includes considering the social, environmental and financial wellbeing of our customers and communities in the way we operate. This builds on ASB’s 176 year history in supporting a more resilient and sustainable New Zealand.

Vittoria has over 20 years’ experience in banking since joining ASB’s parent company, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) in 2002. Vittoria's career began in New Zealand, working in Corporate Finance and Mergers and Acquisitions with Deloitte and Carter Holt Harvey.

Vittoria holds a Bachelor of Management Studies majoring in Accounting and Finance from Waikato University and is a Fellow Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Australia and New Zealand.

Vittoria is a member of Global Women in New Zealand and Chief Executive Women in Australia reinforcing her strong advocacy of diversity and inclusion and mentoring women.

He has over two decades of experience as an economist in Wellington, Melbourne and Auckland in leading international banks and consultancy. He currently balances a portfolio of consulting, public speaking, governance and family duties.

He holds a BCOM with Honours in Economics from Lincoln University and is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.

He lives in Auckland with his wife and two sons.

As Director of Money and Cash, he is responsible for all currency operational functions (banknote and coin procurement and related activities), as well as broader money-related policy issues such as the redesign of the cash system, Central Bank Digital Currency (“Digital Cash”), and policy issues relating to private innovation in money.

A former senior executive at Visa, he has led teams across Southeast Asia, Australasia, Italy, and the UK. Sean has also consulted on business transformation with Westpac, served as chief commercial officer at Immersve and is still an advisor, and is an executive council member at BlockchainNZ. Passionate about financial literacy, he is committed to empowering individuals to improve their financial wellbeing.

Andrew is a leading New Zealand expert in fintech and open banking, working with banks, fintechs and payments providers on a range of projects at the intersection of technology law and financial services regulation. Andrew is Co-Chair of Fintech NZ and has been on the Executive Council since its inception.

Emilie has held specialist and senior positions in France, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, leading teams and implementing new channels, where she excelled in building strong and mutually beneficial relationships with customers and stakeholders.

Adept at working within multicultural, diverse and technically complex environments, Emilie offers pragmatic advice and solutions for the efficient development and execution of growth strategies and change.

Emilie has been a Partner at Mosaic for more than 3 years and has substantially grew her portfolio during that time while representing Mosaic within the broader industry, whether being part of the FSC, RegTech NZ and FintechNZ.

The BusinessNZ network includes four large regional business associations, EMA, Business Central, Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Business South. It also includes the Major Companies Group, ExportNZ, more than 70 affiliated industry associations and Buy NZ Made. The group’s goal is New Zealand’s prosperity through successful business.

Catherine works with government and other key decision makers on issues of concern to New Zealand business.

Catherine has spent the last 30 years as a lobbyist and advocate for a wide range of industries on a wide range of issues, including climate change issues for the energy intensive sector, the insurance sector and the exporting and manufacturing sectors. Catherine has participated in Minister led trade missions to India, Indonesia and China and represents BusinessNZ at various international meetings.”

She has experience advising a broad range of financial institutions and financial industry bodies on regulatory change, compliance and enforcement matters in relation to prudential regulation (including the Deposit Takers Act 2023), the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003, Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 and payments system regulation (the Financial Markets Infrastructures Act 2021 and Retail Payment System Act 2022) and rules (both local and scheme rules).  

Emma has worked with a range of legal entities, including companies, trusts, building societies and credit unions advising on matters relating to corporate governance, legal risk and compliance management, capital raising and structuring.

Before returning to the law, Emma worked for a number of years in the impact investing and fintech sectors.

She has over 10 years’ experience within payments, specialising in merchant acquiring and retail payments experience. In her most recent role within IKEA, Anna was responsible for developing a strategic omnichannel payment direction delivering to customer needs across 32 markets. Her role focused on securing an end-to-end checkout and payment experience which was seamless for customers whilst ensuring backend solutions met both global and local market requirements.   

Returning recently from Sweden, Anna joins the New Zealand project team for IKEA to help establish the checkout & payment experience for the market.

Her substantial expertise extends beyond leadership to encompass governance. Renowned for her proficiency in Te Tiriti o Waitangi strategy, Janelle is in high demand, providing invaluable support to both clients and communities. Janelle’s superpower is that she is just the right mix of inspiring, warm, and provocative.

Luke’s experience in payments spans 20 plus years. As Chief Operating Officer at AusPayNet, a key area of Luke’s focus is on payments transformation.

He came to the role with extensive experience in senior executive roles through a career spanning more than three decades in industries as diverse as finance, energy, and consultancy services including leading large transformation across these sectors, bringing new innovation and technology to drive change that improve an industry in the long term.

Combining her deep banking knowledge with multiple startup successes, she works effectively with industry – both fintechs and banks – to shape the roadmap and lead the delivery of open banking in Aotearoa.

As Head of Strategy at Payments NZ, Chad plays a key role in ensuring New Zealand’s payments industry is future fit and building its reputation as world-leading and inclusive.

In 2015 he started Payments Direction, a strategic initiative that transformed the way the industry thinks about the future of payments as a collective. Working with industry, Payments Direction has been responsible for the ideation and incubation of several key initiatives like the API Centre, SBI 365, the Payments Modernisation Plan, and our payments for the next generation programme. Payments Direction also produces thought leadership white papers, environmental scans, and our consumer study.

Prior to joining Payments NZ Chad worked as a senior advisor and project manager in a large government organisation. Chad has a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) from the University of Otago.

Phil has a financial services background spending 15 years in the UK working on mergers and acquisitions and also setting up target operating models within large global banks.

Phil led a team which designed and implemented the UK Open Banking Implementation Entity target operating model and later held the role of head of operations.

As a leader in the payments industry, Jane is an expert on international and local payments ecosystems and networks. As chief strategist heading up a portfolio of business areas at Payments NZ, she helps empower Aotearoa NZ’s payments future. She also leads the collaborative industry efforts at the intersection of strategy and innovation developments across the payments network including in open data, open banking and finance, digital identity, data sovereignty, fintech and paytech innovation, trade and cross border, next generation payments and emerging technologies.

Jane is a champion for women, equity and the foundational role Te Ao Māori can play in achieving intergenerational outcomes and driving a progressive and prosperous Aotearoa for all.   

She is a trusted advisor to Maori, Government and industry on strategic and economic development. Traci’s skills and experience are openly endorsed by other notable public and private sector leaders, and she is recognised worldwide as a credible Indigenous and business leader.

Known for her strong and inclusive leadership and her clear focus on building the wealth and prosperity of Aotearoa New Zealand, Traci has been described as a leader who listens, learns and helps other lead and grow, and as someone with the courage to lead by example. Her dedication to empowering others and driving positive change in industry and government has made her an inspiration for others and a valuable leader for Aotearoa and the world.

Traci is a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and Maori, and a Justice of the Peace.

She has worked for a number of technology companies around the world, including founding a few successful start-ups. Tina is passionate about building an effective ecosystem for Open Banking and Digital Identity for New Zealand and has been actively involved in the New Zealand and Australian Open Banking and Consumer Data Right implementations. Her goal is to help accelerate New Zealand’s digital economy through Open Banking, Open Health, Open Energy… Open Everything.

Her legal background encompasses regulatory, competition, privacy, and commercial law. She actively engages in regulatory processes and industry initiatives, advocating for digital identity, local innovation, and increased competition in payments. Julia is an executive council member of Digital Identity New Zealand and she looks forward to the introduction of more solutions that encompass modern payment, digital identity solutions and open banking services.

With over 11 years as a Chief Executive, Carolyn has leadership and advocacy experience, with a significant media profile, having appeared in the media 1,127 times in the last 12 months, advocating for retailers. The Retail Payment System is an area of significant interest for retailers, where there is interest on the future of payments in New Zealand.

Joe has two decades of banking experience across financial markets,
retail and business banking. Most recently, Joe’s focus has been
transactional banking and merchant payments; he is the ‘go-to’ banker
for large businesses with both simple and complex transactional needs,
high merchant acquiring volumes in either eCommerce or Point of Sale
spaces, payment facilitators, and for PayTech and emerging payments
businesses.

Volley is pioneering secure, direct account-to-account payments in New Zealand. James has a background in software engineering and Fintech having previously worked at Monzo (UK) and MessageBird (Netherlands) and he brings a real-world understanding of the implementation of Open Banking services in those markets to New Zealand.

James believes that consumer experience - ease of use, trust, safety, and understanding - are the most important goals to get right with Open Banking in the New Zealand market. Volley is using Open Banking account information and payment APIs to solve real problems related to fraud that Kiwi consumers face making payments today.

She oversees all corporate communications and is the executive sponsor of the The Point Conference, Gala Dinner and new awards programme. 

With over 20 years of experience, Vanessa has a proven track record of driving impactful work, innovation, and brand growth. In addition to her role at Payments NZ, she serves on the advisory board for Wych Money, is a Trustee for The NZ Dance Company, and advises Creative Caring Australia. Vanessa is also a mentor for The Founders Institute and UTS Rapid Value Creation. 

Her fintech expertise includes founding FinTech Australia's Intersekt FinTech Festival and the Finnie Awards, earning her recognition as one of the Top 100 Global Women in Fintech. She continues to support the industry as a judge for the Finnie and Pause Awards, celebrating excellence in finance and tech. 

Vanessa’s first career was in the performing arts as a dancer, singer, pianist, and songwriter, and she brings the creativity, collaboration, and storytelling skills from her artistic background to her leadership roles today. She is also completing her studies in gender equity as part of a psychology degree, with a focus on implementing actionable solutions for a more inclusive future. 

He is drawn to people and organisations with a strong vision and passion to effect systemic change and drive equitable outcomes.

Andrew has been ‘hands-on’ in payments and banking for over 35 years, working across Aotearoa, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Originally from a technical (programming) background, he has deep experience in payments processing and technologies, with particular specialties in emerging payments, fraud risk management and digital identity.

Andrew is currently part of the Payments NZ team looking at the next generation of payments capability in Aotearoa. Prior to this, he was the inaugural Executive Director at Digital Identity NZ.

A firm believer in human-centred design and the considered application of technology with an equity lens, he believes that collaboration and cooperation are key to our collective success:
'E kore e taea e te whenu kotahi ki te raranga i te whariki kia mohio tatou ki a tatou.
Ma te mahi tahi o nga whenu, ma te mahi tahi o nga kairaranga, ka oti tenei whariki.
I te otinga me titiro tatou ki nga mea pai ka puta mai.'
The tapestry of understanding cannot be woven by one strand alone.
Only by the working together of strands and the working together of weavers will such a tapestry be completed.
With its completion let us look at the good that comes from it.

Over the last decade she has led Westpac's merchant payments business, with expertise in navigating and responding to new and proposed regulation in this space.

Shelley contributes to the industry through representation on one of Payments New Zealand’s management committees, the strategic forum and Mastercard’s Asia Pacific EMV Executive Committee.

Shelley has a keen interest in both the local and global payments landscape, seeking to understand best-in-class solutions available to meet evolving customer needs. She has recently moved into a new role heading up innovation in payments for Westpac.

 With extensive financial services experience gained from doing big bank transformation in the UK for over 14 years, he has garnered a deep understanding of global financial trends and emerging technologies.

As a passionate social entrepreneur with a particular focus on financial inclusion and systems change she is also involved in the social enterprise, community and not for profit sector as the Chair of Thriving Communities Aotearoa, and a previous Board member with Lifewise, Friendship House, and Debtfix.

She is passionate about innovation and the work that Mastercard does in New Zealand to bring smart, secure, and convenient payment products and experiences to market. Ruth is proud that Mastercard is the partner of choice for many of New Zealand’s new fintech challengers.

Ruth joined the global technology company in 2012 following a career in management consulting. She held various roles across Mastercard’s UK business, supported strategy and operations across Mastercard’s global business as Chief of Staff for the President of International Markets, and was the first Global Social Impact Director for Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth.

 In his current role as Head of New Zealand at Stripe, Ben is responsible for Stripe’s business in the region, helping kiwi companies of all sizes leverage Stripe to increase their share of the global digital economy.

As the visionary Founder of Wych, he has developed a groundbreaking plug-and-play open data solution designed for global scalability, addressing critical industry challenges. With over a decade of experience spearheading large-scale bespoke open data projects across the UK, Europe, and beyond, Dermot has consistently pushed the boundaries of what's possible in the realm of financial technology.

His career includes pivotal roles such as Lead Architect at 9Spokes (which successfully IPO'd on the ASX in 2016) and Tech Lead at Mako Networks, where he contributed to the creation of the world's first PCI DSS-certified virtual network appliance. Dermot's innovative spirit and technical prowess have seen him win the prestigious 2023 FintechNZ Fintech Pitch Award and Wych was a finalist in both the Excellence in Open Data and Positive Impact categories at the 2023 and 2024 Finnie Awards.

A true thought leader in the open data space, Dermot combines deep technical expertise with a keen understanding of global financial ecosystems. His insights on leveraging open data for business growth and innovation have made him a sought-after speaker and advisor in the fintech community.

He has experience across the payments spectrum from strategy through to operations and risk management, and having been with Payments NZ for over 10 years has added payment system governance to his portfolio. This broad senior management experience combined with a focus on delivering the best possible payment experience has made Jamie a real advocate for the industry.

A seasoned entrepreneur and technologist, Sulabh is driven by a passion for leveraging technology to disrupt traditional banking models, making financial services more accessible, user-friendly, and tailored to modern customer needs.

Having won the coveted ‘Best Journalist” and “Best News and Current Affairs Presenter” awards multiple times, Mike’s journey of learning Te Reo Māori was also the subject of the highly acclaimed documentary “Kia Ora, Good Evening”.

In August this year he began a new role as Te Ao Māori Editor for the NBR (National Business Review) showcasing the Māori economy through storytelling.