Fintech Chatter: Insights From Fintech Leaders

In episode 190 of Fintech Chatter Dexter Cousins is joined by Chad West, VP of Marketing for Argent. Dexter first met Chad in 2018 when Chad was VP of Marketing for Revolut. Tune in as they talk about Chad's journey from UK Politics to UK Fintech and now the world of digital assets.About Argent - Argent is the world's most simple and secure smart wallet for Ethereum. It puts the power of crypto into the hands of anyone with a phone. Empowering users to control and prosper from their digital assets and identity.Store, save and send; borrow, earn interest and invest. No-nonsense and non-custodial. Combining beautiful design and bulletproof security. Without borders or boundaries.Launched in 2018 Argent is backed by Silicon Valley and Europe's top investors, including Paradigm, Index Ventures, Creandum and firstminute capital.About This Episode -Chad and Dexter talk about the early days of Revolut. When Chad joined as their first marketing leader, he was employee no25. Revolut had amassed a fairly impressive 50,000 customers at this stage. Chad shares some of the strategies he harnessed to take the company to 20 MILLION customers just 5 years later.Dexter also talks to Chad about his career post Revolut. And Chad shares why he believes the world of digital assets has even more potential to fulfil the early promise of Fintech.And as one of the most accomplished marketers on the planet, Chad shares his tips for founders and gives some career advice to marketeers concerned about the rapid shake up in the industry by AI.About Chad West Chad was an early employee and Director of Global Marketing & Communications at Revolut. He helped transform the company from a fintech app that no one had heard of, into one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the world.Chad's marketing philosophy is a little different. He doesn't believe in blowing money on expensive Super Bowl ads, but instead by bringing customer's as close to the business as possible, and scaling through advocacy.From product marketing and community building, to referral campaigns and engagement, Chad has seen it all.Chad began his career in Public Affairs supporting at the the time UK Prime Minister, David Cameron.He then joined renowned Internet giant Rocket Internet, where he really cut his teeth in growth marketing, before joining Revolut as their first senior marketing hire in 2017.Chad is now VP of Marketing for Argent and holds an advisory role with Sorare.Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 189 of Fintech Chatter Dexter Cousins is joined by Pablo Gil Brusola, CEO of PropHero. About PropHero PropHero, founded in July 2021, is Australia’s leading PropTech platform redefining property investment through cutting-edge data & AI technologies. The platform empowers over 1000 clients worldwide to craft high-return, low-risk property portfolios. PropHero simplifies the entire investment journey by connecting clients with trusted partners and handling everything from market research to property management. As we fast forward to today, the PropHero team has grown to over 100 dedicated members and expanded to property markets in Sydney, Spain, Bali, and Ireland.Prophero raised $8m in October 2022, is profitable and on course to generate $40m ARR this year. About This Episode Pablo dials in from Barcelona to share his secrets on building a global Fintech/Proptech.Dexter goes in depth with Pablo to understand how he, and his co-founder Mikael Roger, have built a global business with over 100 people across Australia, Spain, Bali and Ireland.Dexter digs deeper to understand Pablo’s values, principles and motivations that drive him towards success.Tune in to find out:How to expand an Aussie Fintech globallySeeking the right investors and the right amount of capitalWhy a Bootstrap mindset is essential for success The secrets to hiring executive talentUnderstanding the different stages of growth and the people required for each stageHow to commercialise an idea and find paying customersRecognising your strengths and what to look for in a co-founderAbout Pablo Gil Brusola As a native Spaniard Pablo moved to Australia to study in 2009. He instantly fell in love with the country and decided he had to come back. Starting his career in a Big 4 consulting firm, he quickly realised he was an entrepreneur and started his first company Growpro. After a successful exit, Pablo teamed up with a friend and fellow co-founder Mikael Roger to launch PropHero.Find out more www.prophero.com.auSend us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 188 of Fintech Chatter podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Stevie Ann Dovico, CIO of Beyond Bank.We know what you're thinking, This is a Fintech Podcast, why are you featuring a Community Bank?Back in 2020 Dexter made a bold prediction that talent would move from Fintech and Big banks to the community banking space, as they looked to make an impact on community.So we were not as surprised as others when Beyond Bank managed to attract one of NAB's rising star executives in Stevie-Ann.Tune in as Dexter chats to Stevie-Ann about her motivations for joining a community bank, the synergies with Fintech and how Fintech founders can work in partnership with community banks to solve BIG societal problems like affordable housing.About Beyond BankBeyond Bank is one of Australia's largest, 100% customer-owned mutual banks with a credit union heritage. Founded over 60 years ago by those who felt left behind by a traditional banking system that failed to meet their needs or expectations. Beyond Bank has a vision to be the best bank for relationships. Striving to create and return value for their customers and communities helping to change lives.Stevie-Ann talks about how Beyond Bank proudly attained B Corp Certification in Australia, showing their commitment to the social and environmental impact their business has on the community. About Stevie-AnnStevie-Ann is a dynamic and visionary Information Technology and Digital Executive with over 15 years of experience in Financial Services across Asia Pacific. She has proven success in leading large (600+), cross-functional, global teams across Technology, Digital, Strategy and Innovation, Product and Distribution, Risk and Compliance and Enterprise Transformation. At Westpac Stevie-Ann experienced the growth of the Australian Fintech scene through the partnership with Re-Inventure fund and  her involvement with Stone and Chalk.In 2022 Stevie was awarded Executive Leader of the Year by Women in Digital. She holds an MBA from the University of Sydney in addition to B.Business and B.Information Technology. Stevie is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 187 of the Fintech Chatter podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by CEO of Finmo, David Hanna.David talks to Dexter about how he and the team are tackling a global problem affecting pretty much every SME.David shares his Fintech journey as the Head of Risk and Compliance  at Paypal and Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at Rapyd.Tune in to find out how to make the transition from risk to CEO, the optimal way to launch a global Fintech and how to win enterprise clients without a marketing budget!About David HannaDavid is the CEO and co-founder of Finmo and has over 20 years of expertise in the financial services and payments sector. Prior to founding Finmo, he held global leadership roles in Risk and Compliance for Financial Services companies headquartered in various locations globally. David has held senior roles across companies such as PayPal, Ernst & Young, Zurich, ING Bank, Banxa and others. He serves on several advisory boards and has invested in many startups around the world.About FinmoFinmo is a global B2B treasury management platform that is focused on providing thenecessary tools for the “CFO Office” including finance teams, CFOs, and treasurers. Finmo provides a single platform to enable the core elements of treasury to be managed from one place.Finmo does this by providing four core modules to its clients, Money movementCash management, including AR/AP modulesFX Hedging capabilities Integrations into existing accounting and enterprise softwareFollowing 20+ years of working across the financial services industry with founders from organisations such as PayPal, Citi, and other big names, the Finmo exec team realised that everyone has a treasury problem!Especially companies with multiple bank accounts and multiple org. structures within their group,  handling multiple currencies in servicing their clients. In identifying this problem, Finmo is addressing a significant gap in the market for a solution that serves the end-to-end treasury management lifecycle.https://finmo.netSend us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Erica Xie joins Dexter Cousins to chat about  Tanggram, a smart wealth-creating App that  integrates investment with shopping rewards.The app provides a seamless wealth building journey to well-educated, young people who have stable income streams and financial goals. Co-founded with CEO Nick Tang in 2017, Tanggram is unique in that it supports a massively underserved segment of Australia's community, Asian immigrants. Dexter spoke to Erica just days before she was awarded Emerging Fintech Leader of the Year at the prestigious Finnies Awards. Erica shares her journey as COO from starting out as a financial advisor with Nick, to building a Fintech Platform, leading a team of 15 people through Covid, and keeping people together along the rollercoaster ride.Erica also shares news of the upcoming launch of their superannuation product.https://www.tanggram.com/more-superAbout Erica XieErica is a results-oriented leader with extensive experience in business management and operations, particularly in startups and the Fintech industry. As the Co-founder of Tanggram, Erica has played a key role in building a cohesive and goal-oriented team, and has contributed to the successful partnerships and market position of the business. Erica was honored as the "Young Leader of the Year" at the Women in Finance 2022, and has been nominated for the "Female Fintech Leader of the Year" in both the 2023 and 2024 Fintech Australia Finnies Awards.https://www.tanggram.com/Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 185 of Fintech Chatter Dexter Cousins is joined by Andrew Ward, CEO and Founder of Liquidise.Hi, Dexter here with another great episode with another great Aussie Fintech founder. This week I chat with Andrew Ward about the launch of his latest venture, Liquidise. I'm excited to bring you this chat as Andrew has developed a solution that almost all of our listeners will benefit from!And as this isn't Andrew's first Rodeo, he shares some honest and candid advice for founders who may be a little earlier in the journey.About LiquidiseRecorded in the week Liquidise launched into the Aussie market, Andrew shares how Liquidise is unlocking private equity for company owners, investors and employees. Liquidise is a unique platform, giving shareholders and investors access to guaranteed cash and equity with instant cash settlements.Company owners retain complete control over their cap table, and can reward employees meaningfully. Investors get access to pre-vetted unlisted company opportunities, with direct ownership on the Liquidise share registry.Using blockchain technology, Liquidise is revolutionising the way founders and private companies can grow their companies, attract the best talent and keep control of their business.About Andrew WardThe inspiration for Liquidise came from Andrew's own experience of launching, growing and listing SelfWealth. His shareholders, like those in all unlisted companies, had to wait for either a public listing, company sale or change of control, or transact at a buyer’s set price – if a buyer could be found. These options for private shareholders can be expensive and value destroying. In founding Liquidise, Andrew and his team are intent on solving this problem to unlock the value in private companies.Find out more - https://liquidise.com/Or watch Andrew tell you all about Liquidise in this promo video - https://youtu.be/QbqOklgComM?si=PWZZ4t2oj_88TxCXSend us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Meet Australia's newest bank CEO, Peita Piper of Avenue Bank. Avenue were recently granted a full ADI banking license and Dexter Cousins chats to Peita about their journey.In this episode Peita shares the strategy of Avenue and their focus on a niche business banking product neglected by banks, the bank guarantee.Avenue have digitised this paper process which takes up to 60 days to offer a bank guarantee in 24 hours!We also talk about the challenges of dealing with regulators in the aftermath of failed digital banks Xinja and Volt, while also looking at the big successes like Judo.Peita also shares her personal experience as we talk about the 'glass cliff'. Peita shares her own inspiring story of backing herself and taking on the CEO role at a very difficult time in the business.I also get the chance to ask Peita about what I believe is the hardest part of being a scale up CEO, taking the reigns from founders whilst they remain in the business.Finally I just want to say a MASSIVE well done to everyone involved in the Avenue journey. There is no tougher startup challenge than building a bank - it's the Everest of startup mountains to climb.You can find out more about Avenue Bank and careers https://www.avenuebank.com.au/careersUntil the next episode, keep well!Dexter.Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 182 of Fintech Chatter Podcast Dexter Cousins is joined by Pål Krogdahl, Director of Advisory at Samlink and co-host of Fintech Daydreaming Podcast.In this episode, Dexter chats with Pål Krogdahl about the Fintech scene in the Nordics. They talk through the latest customer trends and research based on 40-plus banks, revealing the key themes and areas for innovation.Covering everything from AI to Open Banking,  Banking as a Service to Embedded Finance, and everything in between the research reveals where customers are shifting their focus and expectations from their bank. Pål also shares some key findings on the major issues keeping banking execs awake at night, giving some clear indications on where the next wave of Fintech entrepreneurs should focus their energy.The Nordics is the birthplace of Fintech OG's like Klarna and Tink. It is a region with a rich history of innovation and Pål gives a rundown on the Fintech scene in his native Finland. There are some startling similarities to the Fintech scene down under and lessons can be learned from our European cousins.You can follow Pål on LinkedIn  - https://www.linkedin.com/in/krogdahl/Download the report - https://samlink.fi/news/the-samlink-equation-2024-navigating-the-transformative-trends-in-banking/Listen to Fintech Daydreaming - https://fintechdaydreaming.com/Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Stake Co-Founders Matt Leibowitz and Dan Silver join Dexter Cousins in episode 182 of Fintech Chatter Podcast.In another one of our 'Origin Stories' Matt and Dan share their incredible journey from becoming friends to becoming business partners. Stake is one of Australia's most successful Fintech. They have raised US $93.5m to date with Tiger Global investing in their $50m Series A in March 2022.Their international success and growth has led Matt and Dan to see a much bigger opportunity ahead of them than they first envisaged in 2017 when Stake launchedEntrepreneurs are often known for their adaptability in driving scaleups, but many find it difficult adapting to someone else at the helm. For many scaleups, the CEO shuffle is a key part of long term success, but why?Stake is the latest scaleup to appoint a new CEO,  Jon Howie, seeing Matt return to his roots in product and business strategy.But for many founders, the thought of letting go of their baby is unfathomable. Dexter chats to Matt and Dan about their thinking in bringing in Jon and their appointment last year of Chair, Geoff Lloyd. Tune in for an honest, thoughtful and candid discussion on life as co-founders and 'letting go of the baby' as we celebrate the first seven years of Stake.Dan and Matt share lessons they've learned, the decisions they've made and the people they've brought on board as they Stake a market leading position in the next seven years.Download the Stake AppFind out about Stake careers Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Dexter Cousins is joined by Chris Jewell, the CEO and Co-Founder of Zepto, one of an emerging number of Fintechs to base themselves from Regional Australia.Zepto creates real-time, account-to-account [A2A] payment solutions for business. Founded in 2016 and backed by Airtree Ventures, Zepto is one of Australia's fastest growing Fintech.In this first episode of 2024 Chris chats to Dexter about:- The opportunities Payto presents emerging Fintech like Zepto to totally redefine the payments landscape- The origins of Zepto and how a problem in an existing business turned into a whole new opportunity- Why Australia is perfectly poised to lead global innovation in payments- The challenges and benefits of being based from Byron Bay- The pressure of leaving the safety of a banking job and put your life savings into a new businessMake sure to follow us on your favourite podcast player for future episodes and check out our back catalogue of 300 plus episodes on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.Send us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp