Sean O'Malley, AMP Bank - Evolving Small Business and Personal Banking

Sean O'Malley - AMP Bank

Dexter Cousins welcomes Sean O'Malley CEO of AMP Bank for his Fintech Chatter debut. 

It has been a BIG week for AMP Bank as they launched their new digital mobile-first bank aimed at helping small business owners manage their business and personal finances.

Dexter and Sean discuss the role of technology in modern banking and how an established financial institution tackles innovation.

Sean and Dexter uncover AMP’s extensive research on the needs of small businesses and the need for more human support in banking. Sean also shares the thesis on the problem they’re solving and the rapidly evolving nature of how, when and where people work.

And, Sean shares his secrets to successful partnerships showcasing their relationship with UK Fintech Starling Bank and their ‘Engine’ platform.

About Sean O’Malley 

Sean O’Malley was appointed the Group Executive of AMP Bank in September 2021, after 11 years at AMP. 

He is responsible for the management and growth of AMP Bank, delivering its future growth strategy, uplifting its digital capability and ensuring the ongoing delivery of high-quality products and services to customers.

He has over 25 years of experience in delivering enhanced business results, predominately in the financial services industries.

About AMP Bank

AMP Bank is aiming to disrupt the small business banking market in Australia. They have launched a fully digital, 24x7 human-supported, full-service Bank to help serve the needs of the Australian small business community.

They aim to help Small businesses get started, survive and thrive, embracing the challenge of bringing new thinking, new ways of working and new bold ideas to a 26 year old Bank, inside a 175 year old Super & Wealth business.

Key Takeaways 

Chapters

00:00   The Launch of AMP Bank's New Platform

03:39   Targeting Small Businesses & Personal Banking Customers

06:03   Insights on the Future of Work

11:13   Viewing Business Failures as Learning Opportunities

14:18   Embracing the Challenges of Modern Workforces

17:31   Lessons from Fintech Startups and Neobanks

23:00   Navigating Change and Innovation at AMP

27:28   The Importance of Strategic Business Relationships

31:53   Risk Management in Fintech Partnerships

35:58   Talent Acquisition and Staff Retention

38:59   Managing Stress and Building Resilience

43:50   Future Outlook for AMP Bank

Special Episode! Paul Roos, Building High-Performance Cultures in Fintech

In this special episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins speaks with Paul Roos, AFL legend and founder of Performance by Design. They explore the parallels between elite sports and startup culture, discussing how founders and leaders can build high-performance teams on a budget!

About Paul

Paul shares insights from his trophy-winning coaching career, steering the Sydney Swans to their first title in 72 years! The culture Roosy built at the club is still legendary 20 years later. He's spent the past decade advising startups and executives at some of Australia's largest companies on building high-performing cultures and unique challenges Fintech founders face.

In the interview Dexter and Paul discuss the importance of self-awareness, the role of leadership in shaping culture, and the challenges startups face as they grow. The conversation also touches on the significance of health and wellbeing in leadership, and how small companies can create a positive culture that drives success.

Key Takeaways

The culture built at the Sydney Swans is a model for startup success.
Leadership behaviours directly influence organisational culture.
Self-awareness is crucial for effective leadership.
Startups must define their culture early to avoid fragmentation.
Investing in culture can prevent costly turnover.
High-performance teams require clear role definitions.
Remote work challenges can be overcome with a team-first mindset.
Health and well-being are essential for leadership effectiveness.
Leaders should model the behaviours they want to see in their teams.
Incremental changes can lead to significant improvements in culture.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background
04:38 Transition from Sports to Corporate Culture
09:30 Building a High-Performance Culture
14:11 Leadership and Self-Awareness in Startups
18:44 The Importance of Foundational Culture
23:25 Role of Leaders in Shaping Culture
27:16 Navigating Growth and Leadership Challenges
30:13 The Shift to Remote Work and Team Dynamics
33:11 Hiring for Culture and Team Cohesion
36:32 The Importance of Defining Company Culture
39:07 Mental Health and Personal Wellbeing in Leadership
42:02 Looking Ahead: Commitment to Growth in 2025

Links

Visit Performance by Design website

Connect with Paul Roos

Connect with Dexter Cousins

Learn more about Tier One People


Send us a text

Subscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/
Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Rob Lincolne - Paydock Ep. 201

About this Episode

Dexter Cousins welcomes Rob Lincolne, Founder & CEO of Paydock to the latest episode of the Fintech Chatter Podcast.

Rob shares Paydock's unique position in the payments ecosystem with a deep-dive into payments orchestration and the importance no-code solutions provide in Fintech innovation.

He discusses the challenges of attracting top talent, emphasising the complexities of building a global team operating on opposite sides of the world. He also highlights the resilience of the tough conditions his team in Ukraine has endured over the last few years.

Rob shares with Dexter his daily routines and the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance as a founder of a global Fintech venture.

About Rob Lincolne

Rob Lincolne is an accomplished entrepreneur with extensive experience in the payments industry. As Founder and Co-CEO of Paydock, Rob is dedicated to transforming the way we transact through the creation of the world’s most trusted payment orchestration platform.

His entrepreneurship journey began in Sydney 2007 when he founded a digital marketing agency specialising in the not-for-profit sector.

The Paydock vision arose when he identified the need for better integration between financial institutions and their merchant clients. Paydock's innovative approach is aimed at unlocking the fintech market's true benefits.

Before founding Paydock, Rob worked in merchant payments across retail and charitable sectors. A self-taught software engineer, he is known for developing cutting-edge payment and propensity modelling software. He has pioneered various digital and experience design systems.

Rob has also founded a successful "near-shore" talent placement agency in Ukraine, connecting software engineers with fintechs around the globe.

About Paydock

Paydock is a payments orchestration platform, leading the way in resolving costly issues for merchants who navigate disparate, fast-moving and fragmented payment service (and related) providers. Our innovative API-first technology harmonises payment, fraud, identity and other vendors (such as Stripe, PayPal, etc.) through a single interface while satisfying compliance, security, technical and other functional needs.

Key Takeaways

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Fintech Chatter

01:59 Understanding PayDoc and Its Unique Position

06:06 Innovation and the No-Code Approach

10:58 Defining Payments Orchestration

14:58 The Journey of PayDoc: From Australia to the UK

19:09 Building a Global Team and Talent Acquisition

21:54 Supporting Teams During Crisis: The Ukraine Experience

25:32 Attracting Top Talent in Fintech

29:26 The Importance of Character in Hiring

33:56 Resilience and Overcoming Adversity

38:33 Current Trends in Fintech

42:14 Daily Routines and Habits of Founders

45:06 Looking Ahead: PayDoc's Future Plans

Links

Visit Paydock website

Connect with Rob Lincolne

Connect with Dexter Cousins

Learn more about Tier One People

Liam Millward - Instant Ep 197

About this Episode

In episode 197 of the Fintech Chatter Podcast, host Dexter Cousins reconnects with Liam Millward, CEO and Co-Founder of Instant. They discuss the remarkable growth and evolution of Instant since their last conversation. Liam shares insights on shifting from a product-focused mindset to a revenue-driven approach, navigating challenges in a competitive landscape.

He shares the importance of building a high-performance team. Liam emphasises the significance of leadership, decision-making, and the role of personal experiences in shaping his entrepreneurial journey. The conversation also touches on the future of Instant and the strategies for market expansion.

The Instant Journey

As CEO and Co-founder of Instant; Liam is on a mission to power the world's most innovative brands, helping to drive their revenue and retention on autopilot. He launched his first funding round led by Blackbird, at age 17, generating $7.5m, the biggest pre-seed to date in Australia.

As the business grew to $1.5m in annualised revenue, they have raised an additional $30m across Seed and Series A rounds. Hitting a healthy 1 million shoppers within 12 months of their launch.

Since Instant launched its Checkout product, they have gone on to develop Audiences and Targeting offering their 3 product across the US and Australia.

This is a triple-pronged approach to customer retention and greater outcomes for business revenue.

About Liam Millward

Liam started his first venture aged 13 in a caravan, travelling around Australia and the world with his family. His love of travel resulted in him curating and developing a well-known travel magazine, Navigate Australia with a monthly readership of 50,000+.

Key Takeaways

  • Liam reflects on the rapid growth of Instant since its inception.
  • The importance of focusing on revenue rather than just product development.
  • Building a strong sales strategy is crucial for startup success.
  • Creating a high-performance culture is essential for team motivation.
  • Leadership requires transparency and accountability within the team.
  • Identifying and nurturing talent is key to sustaining growth.
  • Travel and personal experiences can significantly influence an entrepreneurial mindset.
  • Having a clear vision can inspire teams to achieve ambitious goals.
  • Market expansion requires understanding and adapting to new environments.
  • Failing as a company is not an option; resilience is vital.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Instant and Liam's Journey

05:28 Shifting Focus: From Product Obsession to Revenue

11:04 Sales Strategies for Rapid Revenue Growth

16:40 Leadership and Transparency in Startups

22:27 Creating an Inspiring Vision for the Team

27:00 High Performance Work Environments

34:26 The Impact of Life Challenges on Entrepreneurship

42:13 Setting Ambitious Goals

49:14 The Realities of Starting a Business

Links & Resources:

Paul Weingarth - Slyp Ep 195

We have a great Fintech Chatter Podcast for you this week, a transformative piece in more ways than one. Dexter Cousins caught up with Paul Weingarth, Co-founder & CEO of Slyp, Australia’s only independent startup backed by all four major banks.



About This Episode

12 months ago Paul and Slyp were in a challenging place. Paul's health and fitness had suffered with the stress of running a startup and Slyp were facing capital runway challenges. Things weren't looking great.

After a week of playing the victim (and a good talking to himself), he decided enough was enough and he needed to change right now! By focussing on his health first, the past year has been phenomenal. Paul is back in his best shape since his Uni days, shedding 25kg and doing his first triathlon. And Slyp has bounced back from its challenges with the launch of Go Rewards!

This is one of our favourite-ever episodes. Paul first appeared as an early guest - to see first-hand his journey and to be able to share it with you through the podcast is something we're really proud of!

About Slyp

Since Slyp launched in 2017 they have made it their mission to bring brands closer to their customers. The digitising of receipts and connecting the "SKU to Who" has allowed them to grow their market presence. Their DNA has always been about enriching the customer experience and helping retailers unleash the power of their POS data, to drive targeted engagement opportunities with their customers.

Go Rewards Powered By Slyp

They recently launched Go Rewards the first turnkey, full-stack loyalty platform that drives smarter commerce allowing retailers including, Kmart, Country Road Group, Chemist warehouse and countless others, the opportunity to harness the power of consumer buying, getting to "Know & Grow" their customer relationships.

About Paul

With a career rooted in digital commerce and payments, Paul previously led PayPal Australia’s growth team. His expertise and passion lie in customer experience, with a vision to revolutionise payment experiences, delivering step-change value to both retailers and their suppliers.

Outside of work, Paul has reignited his dedication to health and fitness, recently competing in his first triathlon.

Send us a text

Subscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/
Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Ryan Edwards-Pritchard - Anna.Money Ep 194

In the latest episode of the Fintech Chatter podcast, Dexter reconnects with Ryan Edwards-Pritchard, CEO of Anna.Money.

Ryan chats to Dexter about the recent merger of Cape and how he's joined forces with the UK's Anna.Money to bring a new approach to supporting the 2 million plus small businesses in Australia.

About this episode

Ryan shares the back story of launching Cape in Australia and the challenges he faced getting through the pandemic, securing funding, growing the business and then navigating the funding crunch.

They discuss the synergies that led to Cape being acquired by ANNA and Ryan shares his learnings and advice for other founders seeking an acquisition partner.

Ryan also shares the plans for growth in the region as well as some unique product offerings and services for the Aussie market.

About Anna.Money

As "The business account that does your accounting and taxes" Anna.Money provides a smart all-in-one business account for money, invoicing, expenses, bookkeeping and taxes.

About Ryan

Ryan would describe himself as a British expat Fintech Nerd. His background in the UK saw him heading up Europe's largest digital marketplace for SME Finance in Funding Options.

Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on [Apple Podcasts/Spotify/Your Preferred Platform]. Your feedback helps us bring more engaging content and insight.

Send us a text

Subscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/
Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Christian Westerlind Wigstrom - Monoova Ep 146

Dexter Cousins is joined by Christian Westland Wigstrom Co-Founder and CEO of Monoova for episode 146 of the Fintech Chatter podcast.

Dexter and Christian first connected in 2018 when Christian did a presentation on the future of Payments title The Death of Payments 2030. Christian presented a day in the life of a woman named May to predict how payments will have changed by 2030. Christian argued that while payments would not die, paying would.

5 years on Dexter invites Christian to share an update and discuss if any of his predictions are coming true. Or has he changed his mind?

About Christian
Christian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Monoova, a Sydney-based, B2B payments automation platform and a member of the Fintech Australia Board since November 2022.

Over the past five years, Christian has led the building of a company servicing domestic and international tech-first platforms such as Wise, Nium and a significant portion of the Australian digital-currency industry. To date, Monoova has processed $75bn through its API-driven solution, more than half of which since the start of FY22. Christian has been a finalist for the ‘Outstanding Fintech Leader of the Year’ by Fintech Australia in 2020, 2021 & 2022.

Born in Sweden, Christian obtained a Master’s Degree in Economics, and a PhD in International Relations from Oxford University in the UK. Following a position as speech writer and economic advisor in the House of Lords in London, Christian moved to Zimbabwe to work as Chief of Staff at a Harare-based agricultural group with operations across Southern and Eastern Africa. He arrived in Sydney in late 2016
 

About Monoova

Monoova is a leading, Australian, payment service provider.  Via API integration, Monoova provides businesses comprehensive automated and real-time payment solutions that address and resolve traditional pain points of payment processing and management. 

Through, Monoova’s customisable solution, businesses can send, receive, and manage funds transfers more efficiently, reduce costs and improve their customers' payment experience. 

Servicing domestic and international tech-first platforms, Monoova has processed over $75bn.

As the first mover in the market on the new domestic PayTo transaction type earlier this year, Monoova already provides ‘real-time direct debits’ at scale in the market.

https://www.monoova.com/

Send us a text

Subscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/
Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

137: 11:FS | David M. Brear

In Ep 137 of Fintech Chatter Dexter Cousins chats to David M. Brear, CEO of 11:FS.

A celebration of sorts as both 11:FS and Tier One People celebrate their 7th anniversaries.

Tune in as Dexter and David discuss their contrasting experiences over the last 7 years as founder/builders in Fintech. They share their lessons in business, hiring, leadership, life, startups, parenthood, and everything else in between.

About 11:FS

11:FS is a challenger consultancy that builds and launches next-generation digital propositions for some of the biggest banks in the world.

Driven by the belief that digital banking is 1% done and that digital reform is needed to improve systems and services for banks and their customers.

11:FS build new digital banks and banking products, and deliver benchmarking, research, and consultancy for banks, insurers, governments, regulators and startups around the world.

They are behind multiple podcasts including Fintech Insider, a bi-weekly show about all things fintech and financial services, which is downloaded in over 100 countries every week and is one of the top business podcasts on Apple podcasts; Blockchain Insider, a dedicated podcast specialising in all things blockchain, ledger technology and cryptocurrencies and Insurtech Insider, covering the latest news, insights, and trends in the Insurtech industry.

About David M. Brear

David is the CEO of 11:FS and since his dream of being a sportsperson was crushed (along with the ligaments in his knee!) and he had to get a proper job, he has worked in pretty much every angle of the financial services industry, never losing that competitive desire to drive forwards and win. 

Having pitched, established, and run billion-pound transformations for some of the biggest FS companies on the planet the realisation that Digital Financials Services Is Only 1% Finished has spurred his desire to establish an organisation that can actually support the industry through its greatest challenge. 

11:FS is a challenger to the incumbent consultancies. We create innovative strategies and build out new propositions and ventures in the UK, US, Europe and Asia for some of the biggest brands on the planet. Alongside this 11:FS build in-house products from competitor benchmarking tools like 11:FS Pulse, to core banking and modern architecture systems like 11:FS Foundry. 

In 4 years 11:FS went from zero brand and zero revenues to a multimillion a month business with one of the hottest brands in fintech all with zero external investment in the group.

Alan Tsen, Fintech Radar on Fintech News

Fintech Chatter News is back for 2023!

In this new monthly format, Dexter chats with a friend of the show about the BIG Aussie Fintech news of the month.

This month's guest is Alan Tsen of Fintech Radar

Follow Alan on Twitter https://twitter.com/alantsen

As an OG of Aussie Fintech Alan was GM of Stone and Chalk and Chair of Fintech Australia.

More recently Alan held the Director of Revenue Strategy role for African Fintech Chipper cash.

And Alan has now gone back to his Fintech roots by heading up IAG Firemark accelerator program, FMX

Alan is also the author of the excellent Fintech Radar newsletter - Make sure you subscribe!

In this edition of Fintech Chatter News Dexter and Alan cover:

Follow us:
Apple: https://apple.co/3D7NsPt
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3IzSViQ
Subscribe and like on Youtube: https://bit.ly/3tBlRmE
Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DexterCousins

133: Parpera | Daniel Cannizzaro

In episode 133 of Fintech Chatter Podcast Dexter Cousins talks to Parpera CEO and Founder Daniel Cannizzaro.

Parpera was Founded in April 2020, raising AUD2.7m in equity funding through Equitise - October 2021 saw the launch of the Parpera App, which grew to serve hundreds of Australian businesses. 

Then disaster struck on 29 June 2022, Parpera had to temporarily pause the set up of new accounts and was unable to serve customers due to the closure of partner bank, Volt (read more).

Dexter chats to Daniel about the relaunch of Parpera, finding new BaaS partners and facing closure of the business. This is an inspiring story of a founder who truly believes in their mission and is willing to push through what feels like insurmountable challenges to keep their dream alive.

About Parpera

We make it easier for people to manage their business finances so that they can focus more on what matters most to them.

Parpera provides everything you need to run your business finances in one app. We include access to a Business account, Business Debit Mastercard®, invoicing, cash flow insights, and tax and accounting capabilities. Parpera is specifically designed for Sole Traders (with companies coming soon!)

Focus more on what matters. Download Parpera now. It’s free to get started!

About Daniel Cannizzaro

Daniel has worked with business owners and leaders around the world, from small businesses to large scale multinational corporations. His mission has been to help solve challenging and complex strategy, operations, technology, and risk problems.

He is a graduate of both the London Business School with a Master's of Business Administration and University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Information Systems. Daniel has always sought to completement his executive-level education with courses from Columbia Business School.

Follow us:
Apple: https://apple.co/3D7NsPt
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3IzSViQ
Subscribe and like on Youtube: https://bit.ly/3tBlRmE
Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DexterCousins

120: Koba Insurance, Andrew Wong

In episode 120 of the Fintech Chatter podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Andrew Wong of Koba Insurance.

Koba, a data-driven Australian car insurance company

Koba's offers comprehensive car insurance at a flat (whilst parked) fee, with an add on cost per km's driven. So, if you work from home and your car is sitting in your garage then you simply don't pay any extra. With an ever-growing number of cars linked to smart technology, this offers a fairer pricing option for many customers.

KOBA is led by an industry-leading insurance professionals team, not just a bunch of tech guys trying to solve insurance problems, they understand that technology gives them a competitive advantage.

Andrew is a senior executive with a background in digital and commercial marketing strategy. He has worked on the digital launch of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands for corporate environments and start-ups in global markets incl. US, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, China, and the UK.

He is a natural salesperson and performance-based marketeer with a dedication to gain rapid and measurable ROI. He has successfully assembled high-performing teams and navigated through complicated landscapes and chaos to achieve a collective vision.

Find out about Koba Insurance here

Find out about Andrew Wong here

A favour to ask

Fintech Chatter is free of sponsors and will always be free content. If you appreciate the interviews please help us promote the show by

Apple scroll to the bottom of the page (iphone or ipad only), hit 5 stars and write a review 

Spotify  in the app click 5 stars

Thanks for your support.

About Tier One People

115: Kit, Yish Koh

In episode 115 of the Fintech Chatter podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Yish Koh, MD of Kit. Launched in Beta in May 2022, Kit is the latest venture from x15ventures, CommBank’s venture-scaling entity.

Kit is an ‘earning and learning’ money app, that helps school-aged kids build financial capability through fun, evidence-based and experiential learning. Nifty nudges and kid-friendly explainers are delivered by Kit – a friendly, in-app sidekick, who helps make money, make sense.

Prior to being MD of Kit, Yish Koh was Head of Portfolio at x15, responsible for new venture investment and building opportunities. Starting off her career in management consulting, she spent several years working in the NFP sector in early learning, disability services, and health insurance, prior to joining CBA.

Watch on Fintech Chatter TV

A favour to ask

Fintech Chatter is free of sponsors and will always be free content. If you appreciate the interviews please help us promote the show by

Thanks for your support!

Never miss an episode of Fintech Chatter, subscribe now:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1et6klZeJGmxMsgcOaNsW8

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/fintech-chatter/id1486716249

 

About Tier One People