Revolut Australia CEO Matt Baxby just crossed a milestone that most Australian neobanks never reached: 1 million customers and profitability. In the latest Fintech Chatter episode, the Revolut Australia CEO breaks down how they went from three employees in February 2020 to 100 employees, $250 million saved for Australians, and $4.4 million in profit while revenue grew 163%. More importantly, Matt Baxby reveals the hiring philosophy and cultural decisions that made it possible.
Revolut Australia's recent results tell a story most Australian fintech founders wish they could tell:
While competitors like 86 400, Xinja, and Volt either failed or were acquired before reaching profitability, Revolut cracked the code on sustainable fintech growth in one of the world's most concentrated banking markets.
The difference between Revolut's success and the failures of other Australian neobanks comes down to strategy. Matt explains: "Our strategy was fundamentally different from day one. We established a strong foothold in payments and foreign exchange first: areas where we could demonstrate clear value and actually make money. Then we expanded the product offering from that profitable base."
Most Australian challengers tried to replicate everything the Big Four banks do from day one—massive infrastructure investment before meaningful revenue. "That's incredibly capital intensive and the unit economics don't work until you have massive scale," Matt notes.
Revolut took the opposite approach: build profitable foundations, prove the model works, then scale. The result speaks for itself.
Six years and 100 hires later, Matt has refined Revolut's hiring philosophy to a sharp edge: problem-solving ability beats credentials every time.
"We're rigorous about hiring problem solvers: people who can think critically and exhibit a strong bias to action. We assess that through interview scenarios, not just by asking people to talk about their CV."
The non-negotiables are clear: "I'd rather have someone who can think critically, move fast, and figure things out than someone with a perfect CV who needs to be told exactly what to do. We're also looking for people who are comfortable with ambiguity."
This matters because Revolut operates on quarterly cycles, shipping features in months that traditional banks take years to deliver. Finding people who thrive in that environment requires testing for real problem-solving ability, not just impressive previous employers.
It's a hiring philosophy shaped by Matt's unique background: 10 years under Richard Branson at Virgin Group learning entrepreneurial culture, plus 7 years at Bank of Queensland as retail banking chief and CFO mastering banking discipline and regulatory compliance.
"At Virgin, I learned what it means to genuinely put customers first and challenge incumbents. At BOQ, I learned the discipline of running a bank, dealing with regulators, managing risk at scale." That combination became Revolut Australia's DNA.
Revolut Australia built all 100 employees on a "work from anywhere" policy, radical in an industry where physical presence has been seen as essential for oversight and culture.
Matt's logic is straightforward: "The remote working policy works because of the discipline and mindset of the people we hire. We have high expectations for performance, ambitious quarterly KPIs, and structured measurement. There's a misconception that you need people in an office to have performance oversight. What you actually need is clarity on objectives, rigorous measurement, and people who are self-motivated."
If you've hired true problem solvers with bias to action, location becomes irrelevant. "If you've hired properly, it doesn't matter if they're working from a Sydney office or a beach in Byron Bay. They'll deliver. If you haven't hired properly, having them in an office won't fix that."
This approach requires extraordinary discipline in the hiring process. Every person must be someone who can work autonomously, set priorities within broader company objectives, and deliver without constant supervision.
Revolut is founder-led, and that shapes everything about the culture. Founder and CEO Nik Storonsky sets ambitious goals without caveats: "His goal for us is to be the number one app in the finance category in Australia. Not 'number one neobank' or 'number one among challengers.' Number one, full stop."
That level of ambition requires a specific type of person. "You need people who find that energising, not terrifying," Matt explains.
It's a useful filter in the hiring process. Some candidates hear that ambition and see an exciting challenge. Others hear unrealistic expectations that will lead to burnout. Revolut wants the former.
While consumer banking gets the headlines, Revolut Business has quietly become a growth engine. Transaction volumes grew 235% year-on-year, and in 2026 Revolut launched Australia's first 360-degree merchant acquiring platform.
"The opportunity is massive because small businesses have been underserved for years," Matt notes. The power comes from having both sides of the marketplace: a large consumer base with Revolut on their phones, and a rapidly growing small business base. "When you can connect both sides, you create real network effects."
It's another example of Revolut's strategy: find underserved segments, build profitable solutions, scale from there.
Revolut Australia's success proves a few critical lessons for fintech founders and talent:
Revenue before infrastructure. Don't try to replicate everything incumbents do from day one. Find your profitable wedge, prove it works, then expand.
Hire for problem-solving, not pedigree. Credentials from brand-name institutions don't predict success in fast-moving fintech environments. Critical thinking and bias to action do.
Remote work succeeds with the right people. Location independence works when you hire self-motivated problem solvers and create clarity around objectives and measurement.
Founder ambition attracts the right talent. Unreasonably high goals filter for people who find big challenges energising rather than terrifying.
Speed beats perfection. Quarterly execution cycles and rapid pivots beat multi-year planning in fast-moving markets.
As Revolut continues toward becoming Australia's number one finance app, the hiring discipline that got them from 3 to 100 employees will be tested as they scale further. But with proven processes, clear culture, and strong partnerships, they've built a foundation that can support that ambition.
"All our actions, whether it's our F1 sponsorship, our product development, our marketing, are focused on that number one goal," Matt says. "We want to be the app Australians open every day to manage their money. All their money."
Six years ago, Tier One People placed Matt Baxby as Revolut's founding Australia CEO. Today, that placement has delivered 1 million customers, $250 million in savings for Australians, and a profitable, sustainable fintech business.
That's what happens when you find the 1% who define what's possible.
Watch the Full Episode
Building a fintech team that can compete with billion-dollar incumbents? The right founding leader changes everything. Visit tieronepeople.com or connect with Dexter Cousins on LinkedIn.
