Podcast · Business

Fintech Chatter: Conversations with Fintech Leaders

by Dexter Cousins | Founder, Tier One People · English · Business

370+ episodes. 40+ countries. The podcast fintech leaders actually listen to. Fintech Chatter is where founders, executives, and investors behind the world's most ambitious fintech companies share their journey. We cover topics like raising capital, scaling internationally, hiring leadershi

New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 35 min
Latest: 12 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026 · 32 min

How to Build a Resilient FinTech Company | Soraya Alali - Zip Co

Looking to scale your fintech leadership team? Start at tieronepeople.com After 7 years of asking we finally have Zip on the show! And it is definitely worth the wait. Zip Co is one of the jewels in the Australian fintech crown. But this show could so easily have not happened. In 2022 Zip's share price crashed, the cost of funding rose exponentially and their foundational BNPL model looked to be doomed. What has happened since then is nothing short of miraculous. But if you look under the hoo...

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E380 · 29 Sep 2026 · 41 min
Embedded FX for Enterprise: Matt Barr - Send Payments
Looking to scale your fintech leadership team? Start at tieronepeople.com Matt Barr is CEO of Send Payments, the Australian company that embeds cross-border FX into enterprise platforms including PEXA, BoardRoom and pay.com.au. He explains why those partners choose Send on compliance ahead of price, why the bigger FX markets sit offshore, and how 140 AI agents help a team of about 70 run the business. About Matt Barr Matt Barr became CEO of Send Payments in August 2025 after more than 25 year...
E379 · 21 Sep 2026 · 36 min
Creating a Bank People Love: Xavier Shay - Up
Looking to scale your fintech leadership team? Start at tieronepeople.com Xavier Shay is the CEO of Up, the Australian digital bank that reached a million customers on word of mouth and has been standalone profitable for the last twelve months. He joined as employee 27, was CTO before taking the top job, and explains why Up refused buy now pay later and why it does not try to win on features. About Xavier Shay Xavier Shay is CEO of Up and chief digital officer at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, ha...
E378 · 17 Sep 2026 · 3 min
Intersekt Chats: Caroline on HelloClever's remarkable growth across Asia
If you're looking to scale your executive leadership team - start at tieronepeople.com Welcome to our series recorded live from Interesekt/26. Dexter Cousins catches up with friends of the show at Australia's premiere Fintech event in Melbourne. Hello Clever CEO Caroline Tran gives Dexter Cousins and update of their remarkable growth across Asia, now processing over $2bn through their payments and loyalty platform. Subscribe for weekly insights from the people building the next generation...
E377 · 10 Sep 2026 · 12 min
Intersekt Chats: Piers Cracknell - Banking Circle Australia
If you're looking to scale your executive leadership team - start at tieronepeople.com Welcome to our series recorded live from Interesekt/26. Dexter Cousins catches up with friends of the show at Australia's premiere Fintech event in Melbourne. Piers Cracknell CEO for Banking Circle Australia joins Dexter COusins to talk through their remarkable growth and success down under. Piers also shares his main takeaways from the event and his optimism for the future of Fintech. Connect with Piers:...
E376 · 10 Sep 2026 · 6 min
Intersekt Chats: Ben Ford - MogoPlus
If you're looking to scale your executive leadership team - start at tieronepeople.com Welcome to our series recorded live from Intersekt. Dexter Cousins catches up with friends of the show at Australia's premiere Fintech event in Melbourne. This chat features Ben Ford aka The Body of Fintech! Ben runs Mogoplus - AI powered credit decision making and has been at the forefront of CDR since inception. You can connect with Ben - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-ford-142a027/ Insta- https://...
E375 · 7 Sep 2026 · 44 min
Aaron Violi - From Fintech startup to Canberra Politician.
Scaling your Fintech executive team? Start at tieronepeople.com Can Australian startups thrive under current policy? Shadow Minister Aaron Violi discusses the future of our tech sector. In this episode of FinTech Chatter, Dexter Cousins sits down with Aaron Violi, Federal Member for Casey and Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy, Science, Technology and Innovation. They examine how upcoming 2026 budget changes to capital gains and employee equity impact the broader startup ecosystem. Aaro...
E374 · 24 Aug 2026 · 23 min
Stripe Tour Sydney 2026 - Karl Durrance
If you're scaling a fintech leadership team, start at tieronepeople.com Karl Durrance is Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand at Stripe, the payments infrastructure company. Australia NZ is Stripes 3rd largest region globally, serving over one million customers and onboards 37,000 new local businesses every month. In this episode, recorded live at Stripe Tour Sydney, Karl explains how Australia became Stripe's third biggest market in the world, why 23 percent of Strip...
E373 · 10 Aug 2026 · 41 min
Exclusive! Constantinople and MOVE Bank Migration
If you're building an executive team to scale your Fintech, start at tieronepeople.com Move Bank has become the first bank in the world to move its entire operation, technology, product, operations and compliance, onto Constantinople's platform. In this episode Dexter Cousins is joined by Move Bank CEO Mike Currie and Constantinople co-CEOs Macgregor Duncan and Di Challenor. They unpack an 18 month migration of around 25,000 members that cut cost to income by roughly 30 percent...
E372 · 26 Jul 2026 · 35 min
Sam Everington and Mark Bernhardi: How Starling's Tech Now Runs Other Banks
If you're building a fintech leadership team, start at tieronepeople.com - executive search for Fintech. Sam Everington joined Starling Bank ten years ago as one of its first twenty employees. He led the build of the technology that has made Starling a Fintech giant - 4.5 million customers and a 9% share of UK business banking. Mark Bernhardi leads Engine's growth across Australia and New Zealand, having previously held technology roles at Atlassian, nCino and Westpac. Both join...
E371 · 17 Jul 2026 · 45 min
Peter Jones - Nimo Industries: Breaking into Mutual Banks
Looking to take your leadership team to the next level? Start at tieronepeople.com Peter Jones co-founded Nimo Industries with Leann Jones after living the core banking problem himself as a mutual bank CEO. Ten years ago he decided solve the problem for himself. Today, Nimo is a platform serving over 20 Australian banks and lenders, entirely bootstrapped. In this episode of Fintech Chatter Dexter asks Peter how his mutual sector background shaped the product. Peter shares his journey bo...
E370 · 13 Jul 2026 · 39 min
Andy Taylor - Stakk: The Ten Year Overnight Success.
If you're scaling a fintech leadership team, start at tieronepeople.com Andy Taylor is the founder and CEO of ASX-listed Stakk Limited (ASX: SKK), an embedded trust and fraud prevention platform used by Chime, Robinhood, T-Mobile and H&R Block. In this episode Andy breaks down Stakk's proposed US$63 million acquisition of document intelligence firm ParaScript, and how the deal turns a decade of building into an AI-powered fraud detection engine. I ask Andy about Stakk's piv...
E369 · 29 Jun 2026 · 46 min
Steve Hind | Lorikeet: The $50m AI Startup Every VC Wanted In.
If you're looking for AI Native leaders - start at www.tieronepeople.com Steve Hind is the co-founder and CEO of Lorikeet, an Australian AI startup that has raised more than $50 million USD to build AI concierges for high-regulation businesses in fintech, healthcare and energy. Lorikeet's customers include Airwallex, Linktree and Eucalyptus, the telehealth company recently acquired by Hims & Hers in a deal worth up to $1.15 billion. Before founding Lorikeet with former Google Brain res...
E368 · 16 Jun 2026 · 43 min
Clayton Howes - MoneyMe: The leadership shift every founder must make to scale
If you're scaling a fintech leadership team, start at tieronepeople.com Clayton Howes is the CEO of MONEYME (ASX: MME), an Australian non-bank lender that has originated over $5 billion in consumer credit and now manages a $1.9 billion loan book across personal loans, credit cards, and car finance. In this episode, Clayton walks through the full 13-year journey: bootstrapping from a desk-sized office, listing on the ASX in December 2019, acquiring SocietyOne during the Ukraine invasion, and ...
E367 · 31 May 2026 · 44 min
$480 - $4.7bn Australia's OG Peer to Peer Lender: Michelle Bagnall - Bank First
Looking to upscale your fintech leadership team? Start at tieronepeople.com Michelle Bagnall is the CEO of BankFirst, a mutual bank with 92,000 members and $4.7 billion in assets that exists to serve nurses and teachers in Australia. In this episode she tells Dexter the origin story of a bank that started with $480 in a shoebox, explains why nobody at BankFirst gets paid a bonus, and makes the case that mutuals were the original fintech startups. 00:00 Introduction 03:08 The Origins o...
E366 · 25 May 2026 · 40 min
Why AI Will Rewire the Entire Finance Sector. Jamie Twiss - Beforepay Group
Fintech Chatter is presented by www.tieronepeople.com - executive search for Fintech. In this episode Dexter chats to Jamie Twiss CEO of Beforepay Group (ASX: B4P) and Carrington Labs. Jamie joined Beforepay pre-IPO, turning them from a startup into a profitable ASX-listed fintech writing 40,000 small loans a week with a 99% repayment rate. Jamie and Dexter discuss why Beforepay is on a mission to disrupt the payday lending sector, and provide a fairer system based on advanced credit r...
E367 · 10 May 2026 · 37 min
Fred Schebesta: 20 Years of Finder, Beating ASIC, and Why Stablecoins Already Won
Fred Schebesta co-founded Finder in 2006, grew it to five markets over 20 years, won a landmark Federal Court case against ASIC over the Finder Earn product, and is CEO of Finder Ventures. In this episode of Fintech Chatter we cover where Finder Rewards is going, why stablecoins have quietly won the crypto race, what actually makes an employee irreplaceable in the AI age, and what Australia’s regulatory environment is costing the innovation economy. What we discuss How Finder built fr...
E366 · 27 Apr 2026 · 42 min
Chris Brycki - Stockspot: Building Australia's Largest Robo-Adviser
If you're scaling your fintech leadership team, start at tieronepeople.com Chris Brycki founded Stockspot in 2013 with no income, no office and no VC, and built it into Australia's largest automated investment service with $1.5 billion under management. In this episode, Chris and Dexter discuss what it actually takes to build an enduring fintech in Australia: staying lean, rejecting growth-at-all-costs capital, and never losing sight of the customer. About Chris Brycki Chris Brycki is the f...
E365 · 12 Apr 2026 · 34 min
10 Years of Raiz: $2.1 Billion - What's next? CEO, Brendan Malone
Brendan Malone, CEO of Raiz Invest, joins Dexter Cousins to mark 10 years since Raiz launched to Australian retail investors. From a joint venture with US micro-investing app Acorns in 2015, Raiz has grown to $2.1 billion in funds under management, over 330,000 active monthly users and over $5.5 billion invested for Australians. What We Discuss How Raiz started as a joint venture with US app Acorns in March 2015 before listing on the ASX as Raiz in April 2018The roundup innovation that ...
E364 · 31 Mar 2026 · 49 min
David Hyman- MonoAI
David Hyman co-founded Lendi Group in 2013 and built it into Australia's largest non-bank mortgage platform with a $107 billion loan book, 5 million customers, and $350 million in annual revenue. He stepped down as CEO in January 2026 and within weeks was building his next company. In his fourth appearance on Fintech Chatter, David joins Dexter to talk about Mono AI, a platform business that helps established companies become AI native before a leaner AI native competitor makes them irrelevan...
E363 · 3 Mar 2026 · 10 min
4000 Jobs Gone. What to do next.
Block Just Cut 4,000 Jobs. WiseTech Cut 2,000. Here's What To Do Next. Last week was a wake-up call for anyone working in fintech and tech in Australia. Block — the company behind Square, Cash App, and Afterpay — cut more than 4,000 employees. That's nearly half the company, down from over 10,000 to just under 6,000. The stock surged 24% on the same day. Afterpay is still headquartered in Sydney, and Australian staff have been directly affected. The same week, WiseTech Global announced 2,000...
E362 · 22 Feb 2026 · 47 min
Checkbox AI CEO: $23M Series A After 9 Years Bootstrapping
🔥 We find the 1% who redefine what's possible - Executive search for fintech → https://tieronepeople.com Checkbox AI just raised $23M at $100M valuation serving enterprise customers SAP, PepsiCo, Telstra, and Woolworths. CEO Evan Wong shares the 9-year journey from bootstrapped startup to enterprise legal AI platform, competing against $5B+ valuation businesses like Harvey. 📊 KEY METRICS: • US$23M Series A at $100M valuation (total of US$29m raised) • 100+ enterprise customers including Fortu...
E361 · 8 Feb 2026 · 33 min
One Million Aus Customers - Matt Baxby, Revolut
Tier One People placed Matt Baxby as Revolut Australia's founding CEO. Six years later: 1M customers, profitable. The right leader changes everything. Looking for your next hire? Contact Dexter Cousins for a confidential discussion. Welcome back to Fintech Chatter Podcast - In our first episode of 2026 Matt Baxby reveals how Revolut reached 1M customers and saved Australians $250M in FX fees while achieving profitability. Discover the hiring secrets, growth strategy, and vision to become Aust...
E360 · 12 Jan 2026 · 17 min
Networking | Finding Your Next Job In Fintech part 3
Most people treat networking like fitness - they lie on the sofa for three years, then panic when they're out of shape. In this episode, Dexter Cousins breaks down the 95-5 principle: 95% of your job hunting success comes from 5% of your network. Learn how to identify the critical 5% of your network, activate them strategically, and turn two-minute conversations into warm introductions. This is networking done right. KEY TAKEAWAYS The 95-5 Principle: Focus on your critical 5%, not broadcastin...
E359 · 27 Nov 2025 · 14 min
Building Your Professional Brand in Fintech
🚀 Hire outstanding Fintech talent - https://tieronepeople.com ✅ Follow Dexter on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dextercousins/ ⬇️ Download the worksheet - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rkcgAsabfYtPrZw1owzg1BpsnUxvLCDR/view?usp=sharing In this episode of FinTech Chatter, Dexter Cousins shares insights on how to find your next role in the fintech industry using the Lean Startup methodology. He emphasizes the importance of creating a career balance sheet, identifying problem customer...
E358 · 14 Nov 2025 · 10 min
Finding Your Next Role in Fintech - Episode 1
Thinking about your next career move in 2026? Maybe you're actively hunting for your next role in Fintech? This is Episode 1 of a 5-part series that completely flips the script on job hunting in fintech. Whether you're looking for a permanent role or exploring fractional opportunities, this approach will transform your entire career conversation. Most job seekers approach their career transition completely backwards. They ask the wrong questions, compete on the wrong battlefield, and leave ...
E357 · 10 Nov 2025 · 10 min
Weekly Insight: The Silent Crisis of Job Seekers
In this episode, Dexter discusses the silent crisis affecting job seekers, highlighting the alarming rates of burnout and mental health issues before employment. He explores the current job market landscape, the challenges candidates face, and the impact of financial stress on mental health. Takeaways Two-thirds of job seekers are experiencing burnout.The average job hunt takes almost six months.Job seekers send an average of 294 applications before landing a job.Financial stres...
E366 · 4 Nov 2025 · 10 min
Dexter's Weekly Insight - Why Being A Fractional Exec Sucks!
Dexter Cousins brings a new weekly insight on Fintech careers and hiring. In this episode he explores the growing trend of C-suite professionals contemplating a shift from their current roles to alternatives that better support their well-being. While at the same time executives who have made the shift by becoming self-employed or starting Fractional service offerings, are seeking permanent work again. Let s know what you think. What has been your experience in either offering Fractiona...
E355 · 27 Oct 2025 · 33 min
Where Defi Meets Tradfi - Dan Jowett, OpenMarkets Group
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins speaks with Dan Jowett, CEO of OpenMarkets Group, about the rapid convergence of Tradfi and DeFi About OpenMarkets Group Power your Fintech, Advisory, or Trading business with an end-to-end Wealth Management and Trading solutions. Openmarkets empowers financial institutions and advisers to deliver a seamless investment experience to their clients. They provide a comprehensive suite of trading, clearing and settlement, custody, and ...
E354 · 20 Oct 2025 · 30 min
Unlocking Crypto Compliance with AI - Joni Pirovich, Crystal AOS
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins speaks with Joni Pirovich, a crypto compliance expert and founder of Crystal AOS. They discuss Joni's journey from being a crypto lawyer to a tech founder, the challenges of hiring in the compliance space, and the role of AI in enhancing productivity and filling the compliance knowledge gap in the digital assets space. Joni and Dexter chat about the current state of play in the crypto industry in Australia, regulatory challenges, a...

About Fintech Chatter: Conversations with Fintech Leaders

Fintech Chatter: Conversations with Fintech Leaders is a English business podcast from Dexter Cousins | Founder, Tier One People. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Dexter Cousins | Founder, Tier One People
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 35 min
Latest episode: 12 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1486716249

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