Australian Investors Podcast Alex Zaika: Scaling an X-traordinary ETF business
Sep 10, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Alex Zaika, CEO of Global X ETFs Australia and former finance professional at Macquarie and BlackRock, shares his unique journey from aspiring volleyball player to ETF leader. He discusses Global X's astounding growth to $12 billion AUM in just 10 months and explores the rising popularity of ETFs in Australia. Alex emphasizes the importance of digital advice and education for investors, while revealing personal insights on leadership and innovation in the rapidly evolving ETF landscape.
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From Teaching To Finance
- Alex fell into finance after studying teaching and tutoring, encouraged by a mentor who suggested finance.
- He read finance textbooks while teaching and improved academically once engaged in work he enjoyed.
First Job Was Cold-Calling Sales
- Alex’s first finance job was a trainee broker role focused on cold calling and sales rather than true broking.
- He credits that role as his foot in the door and for teaching how to pick up the phone and call strangers.
Early ETF Exposure Shaped Career
- Alex first encountered ETFs at Macquarie and worked on exchange-traded note projects at Barclays.
- Those experiences shaped his ETF career and led to roles at iShares and later Global X.