Along with the partners for the show, FinTech Australia we are blown away by your kind words, messages of support, reviews, shares and appearance requests.
That’s why we wanted you to be the first to know about some changes happening as we move into season four.
After an awesome twelve months (3 seasons and 100 shows) together FinTech Australia will no longer be partnering with Tier One People on the podcast.
It’s been an incredible ride for both organisations and we are immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together. We came together over a common purpose, to put Australian Fintechs on the map by providing a global platform for leaders and founders to share their inspiring stories.
The partnership started in March 2020 just as COVID hit the industry hard. Where normally we’d congregate at innovation hubs, accelerators and pizza and beer nights, the podcast became a way to connect us during lockdown.
The podcast has served FinTech Australia and Tier One People well, leading to new opportunities for us both. And our relationship with FinTech Australia will continue in other ways like the People's Choice Awards at this year's Finnies.
“The podcast has done an amazing job of covering the incredible stories in the Australian fintech sector. We wish Dexter and the show all the best for its future endeavours and look forward to working together on other initiatives.”
FinTech Australia CEO Rebecca Schot-Guppy
Other than the name, nothing else changes. We’ll still release one show per week, Dexter will still be your host and we will continue to bring you exclusive interviews with global Fintech leaders. If you are subscribed to the podcast there is nothing else to do.
So that leaves only one thing. What to name the podcast!
Drum roll please …
FinTech Australia will be resuming their podcast to bring you thought leadership content on fintech policy and advocacy.
We encourage you to subscribe and give them your support - http://www.fintechaustralia.org.au/
Dexter Cousins appears on Ausbiz TV with Westpac economist Justin Smirk as they talk through the latest jobs data. Is the job recovery from Covid underway or could there be new threats on the horizon?
The fantastic team at Ausbiz invited Tier One People founder, Dexter Cousins into their Sydney studio recently to talk about the job market. Joined by Westpac economist Justin Smirk, the conversation provides a fascinating glimpse into the impacts of Covid on team performance, which jobs could be at risk and the impacts ai and offshore talent could have on Aussie jobs.
The award recognises the support services that have provided the highest level of assistance to fintechs in their operation and growth or a business that helps drive the growth of the fintech community through physical infrastructure (space), connections and capital.
We are up against consulting firms, legal support, accounting, technology companies and incubators/hubs/co-working spaces, accelerators and investment firms.
This is the first year an Executive Search firm has been nominated for the award. And to say we are delighted is an under statement. To be recognised by your peers and the people you serve is a huge honour and we are immensely proud to be up there against such strong competition.
Given the restrictions the event will be a mix of virtual and in person events. There'll be a live transmission from The Studio (where we host the FinTech Australia Podcast.) Stone and Chalk will be holding small live events in Sydney and Adelaide.
People are also encouraged to host their own events and office parties. Fintech Australia will be shipping Alcohol and goodies if you host your own office event. We are already hearing of some cool waterfront venues being booked out here in Sydney!
And if you prefer to celebrate from home First 100 registrations will receive an exclusive gift box with goodies, alcohol discounts, sponsor gifts and other offers.
You can register for the Finnies here
And in an effort to get everyone involved, two categories this year will go to the people's choice awards. You can vote for your favourite Fintech and help them get bonus points if you listen to their exclusive show on our special Finnies Podcast.
But be fast, you can only listen to the shows 7th - 14th October!
Vote now for Emerging Fintech of the year and Fintech of the year
Our good friends at 11:FS kindly invited Dexter Cousins on Fintech Insider Podcast. We think it is a pretty special show , especially as the focus is on Australian Fintech.
Simon Taylor heads up a great panel of guests to talk all about digital banking in the Asia Pacific region. With a special focus on Australia, we take a look at how far the industry has come, competition from Australia's 'big four' incumbents, and what the future holds for digital banks in the region.
Dexter is joined by fellow guests
Tier One People launch Fintech advisor service to give founders the support they need, when they need it most.
Access to the right people, investors and partners is the biggest challenge facing any founder.
And hiring is also the one challenge most founders are least equipped for.
When we interviewed 300 plus founders, less than 1% have a background in HR, talent or recruitment.
And of the 300 plus Fintech we have assessed, fewer than 10% have any HR expertise in their business sub 30 people.
Yet over 90% of founders stated finding the right people was their number one challenge. And more than 50% said bad hiring decisions had set the business back.
The traditional recruitment model is too expensive for startups. We've seen so many startups waste valuable capital on recruiter fees.
The results of using a recruiter are mostly underwhelming and we only ever advise clients to use specialist recruiters for specialist roles. We believe startups should do as much hiring as they can themselves.
Here's the big problem though. Hiring is complex, yet most founders think it is easy, until it's too late and they have made some really bad hiring decisions.
It only takes one bad hire to ruin the culture.
The reverse is also true. On rockstar hire can be the catalyst to hiring an all-star team, without getting a recruiter involved.
We believe the solution to helping founders scale doesn't lie in us filling jobs, but in offering our support, expertise and guidance throughout the growth journey.
So, due to demand from the Fintech community we offer a far more affordable solution to using recruitment firms with the launch of our Advisory Service.
Tier One People's Fintech advisor service gives founders the support they need, when they need it most.
It's been designed to help founders navigate the early stages of growth, from seed round to series B.
On an affordable monthly subscription model, founders get access to all of the experience and expertise we've built in helping FIntech scale effectively.
Clients also get to tap into one of the most comprehensive networks in Fintech. We'll connect you in to the right partners, advisors and investors.
Plus we'll promote your business on the the FinTech Australia Podcast that is listened to by execs from banks, financial institutions and investors from Australia, UK, US and Asia.
One client recently saved $150,000 with just a 30-minute phone call!
Schedule an initial chat and find out how we can help you scale affordably.
We've changed!
Have you noticed the new Tier One People logo and branding?
When we launched in 2016 we really didn’t know if the business would be a success or if Fintech would even become a viable industry.
Tier One People is now firmly established as leaders in Fintech executive search.
And Fintech is here to stay, entering into an exciting new era. So now’s the time for us to ditch the question mark logo!
In its place is a logo and brand we feel better reflects everything we stand for.
The triangle is symbolic of the calibre of our network. The pinnacle or top 'Tier' of talent and companies in Fintech.
The circle represents 'one'
And the circle and square together resemble a ‘stand-out’ or unique person.
We went with different shapes to represent the diversity of 'people' in the TOP community.
Great people come in all shapes and sizes!
The new colours are persian indigo and byzantine (or blue and pink.)
Pink features prominently in the logo and on the new website as 43% of hires we've made so far are females.
We wanted to portray simplicity and precision - as that is how we like to go about business.
There's also a subtle retro 80's silicon valley homage.
This is deliberate, as we feel Fintech is at the beginning of something huge. A period of unprecedented innovation and change similar to Silicon Valley in the 1980's.
We sincerely hope the new brand resonates with you.
You can check out our new website www.tieronepeople.com
FinTech Australia has partnered with Tier One People to launch a Fintech Talent Market in response to increasing job losses through the Covid-19 crisis.
The marketplace, run through LinkedIn Groups, aims to connect people in the Fintech community who have lost their jobs to Fintech companies with jobs.
Revolut, Xinja, Up, Wisr, 86 400, Airwallex, ReInventure Group, Tyro, Lendi and Spriggy are just some of the companies to show their support by joining the group. Jobs and opportunities will start to be advertised in the group this week.
“This crisis will cost many their jobs, and the fintech industry is not immune. However the FinTech Talent Marketplace is a way that we can help those whose jobs are impacted and keep them in the ecosystem,”
FinTech Australia CEO Rebecca Schot-Guppy.
“This is a closed marketplace, for people in the Fintech community. While we are setting this up now, we believe that this initiative will play a key role in the recovery phase of this crisis through growing and hiring staff,”
Dexter Cousins, Managing Director of Tier One People added: “We’ve had an incredible response from the community since we started the marketplace. We are encouraging FinTech Australia’s counterparts across the world to follow our lead. We would love to see this become a global FinTech community initiative.
“Hiring in these conditions is incredibly challenging for employers. Where posting a regular job ad could usually lead to one hundred applications, now it could easily see one thousand. Time poor founders can’t manage these volumes of interest.
“This marketplace is helping connect experienced fintech industry talent with the companies that can utilize their skills most. In the process we are keeping talent in the industry. It’s completely free for talent and Fintech Australia Affiliated Companies to join the group. Now is the time for Tier One People and FinTech Australia to play a key role in reinforcing the value of community as we navigate this pandemic. “
Our friends at 11:FS invited us onto their Breakfast Show LIVE to talk about the impacts of Corona Virus on the Fintech community.
Tier One People's Dexter Cousins and 11:FS CEO David M. Brear talk about which companies will hire and fire.
Watch the video to find out our views on who will survive, who will thrive and how the current situation could actually be a golden opportunity for Fintech.
https://www.linkedin.com/video/live/activity-6647772124821889025-4PBE/
We are stoked to announce that FinTech Australia has entered into a partnership with Tier One People to act as the main sponsor of the Tier One People podcast.
Recognising the close alignment in our mission to make Australia the No1 country for Fintech innovation, it makes perfect sense to join forces.
So what does this mean for our listeners?
First off if you are subscribed on Spotify, iTunes or any other medium you don’t have to do a thing. The podcast is now available to download on the FinTech Australia site.
We are beefing up the show with professional production, a monthly news style show as well as coverage of events like The Finnies, Intersekt and Global Fintech events like Innovate Finance, Money 20/20 etc.
The Fintech Game Changers series of leadership interviews will continue and we will also run dedicated episodes on hiring and careers advice. Including a special show this week on setting up remote working.
And given that the biggest challenge facing any founder is people, hiring and talent - the content of the show will be educational as well as entertaining.
FinTech Australia Director, Simone Joyce had this to say about the partnership:
I am so excited that this has come about. The partnership fast-forwards the reason we started the podcast in the first place. Which was to promote the Fintech ecosystem. Tier One People are doing that in spades and with flare.
The combined networks of Tier One People and FinTech Australia members amplifies the reach to a global audience giving our members maximum exposure.
Innovate Finance Global Summit 2020 kicks off in London on April 20 and Tier One People will be there. Dexter Cousins will be part of a Fintech Australia and UK Department of Industry and Trade delegation, on a mission to strengthen ties with the UK Fintech sector.
The delegation marks the second anniversary of the UK-Australia Fintech Bridge. And what better way to celebrate than attending the UK Fintech Industries main event of the year?
The UK-Australia Fintech Bridge launched in 2018 to support startups from Australia and the UK. In two years trade in both directions has increased. Tier One People have played a significant role in helping Fintech startups expand in Australia and the UK.
The Fintech Bridge plays a key role in helping UK Fintech successfully launch in Australia and Australian Fintech launch in Britain. And this years trade delegation provides an opportunity for Aussie founders to 'plug-into' the worlds leading Fintech ecosystem.
It's a chance to showcase the exciting innovations and opportunities in Australia to a global audience.
With Brexit now finally behind us, our UK cousins are not waiting to strike new trade agreements. Tier One People recently attended an invite-only round-table discussion with HRM Treasury, The Australian British Chamber of Commerce and Fintech leaders.
Open Banking is generating lots of interest from UK Fintech and represents a HUGE opportunity for Australia if we can get it right. Approximately 40% of the Tier One People client base is now UK based.
It's an honour to be invited by Fintech Australia and develop relationships with the UK Fintech sector. It is clear from our discussions with both Fintech Australia and UK DIT talent is a critical component of any trade agreement.
Watch out for an exclusive Tier One People interview with Michael Ward, Deputy Trade Commissioner UK DIT
Monday, 20 April: IFGS 2020 Day 1
Tuesday, 21 April: IFGS 2020 Day 2
Wednesday, 22 April: International Day, run by Innovate Finance
Thursday, 23 April: Full day program, run by UK DIT (Scaleups only)
"The Singapore Fintech Festival confirms Asia as a huge opportunity and one Australian Fintech Startups simply cannot afford to ignore any longer."
Tier One People Founder, Dexter Cousins shares his highlights from the Singapore Fintech Festival 11th - 15th November 2019.
It was MASSIVE. Over 60,000 participants from more than 130 countries were represented at this year’s SFF x SWITCH. Spanning 6 halls and hosting over 1,000 exhibitors, the event aims to be the largest FinTech event in the world. Job done I'd say!
In 2015, the Monetary Authority of Singapore started working closely with the FinTech community to develop a strong ecosystem centred on collaboration and innovation. Singapore has set a goal to become the world's first Smart City State with the ultimate goal of improving people’s lives.
It's a holistic approach to innovation that incorporates Fintech, Clean Energy, IOT, Transportation, Payments, Digital ID, AI and anything else you can think of that goes into making a smart city. The Singaporean Government has dedicated over $1bn in funding in 2019 alone. Singapore is pulling out all of the stops and taking massive action.
Less than 50 start-ups in 2015 to over 600 in 2019
5 to over 40 innovation labs
Creation of over 1,100 FinTech jobs each year
More than S$1 billion investments in FinTech companies
There's great opportunity in esports and fintech: Razer CEO from CNBC.
My biggest eye opener was meeting the people at Razer the online gaming company. Razer build gaming computers, accessories and have a huge gaming community across the US, Europe and Asia. Fintech is their next logical step where they aim to offer gamers tailored financial services and payments.
My other highlights included catching up with the Revolut team and meeting the Founder Nik Storonsky. I used my Revolut card on this trip for all transactions and I am blown away by how good the product is and how much money I saved! It literally has Revolutionised travel for me.
Uber famously disrupted the taxi industry and in big news recently, Uber and Google are planning to enter the banking space. This is already happening in Asia, while the Fintech industry in Aus has looked to Silicon Valley and Shoreditch for innovation maybe Singapore is the place we should be drawing inspiration from.
Grab, which is like Uber but on steroids made my trip super easy. From one app I could book rides, order food, have gifts collected from a store and dropped at my hotel, book a hotel and more. With an in built loyalty program, instant payments for drivers and a micro insurance policy for drivers Grab already does what Uber plans to do.
Westpac announced their partnership with Tier One People's newest client 10x Future Technologies. This is the most significant play yet as open banking finally becomes a reality in Australia. Needless to say we are very happy to be supporting such a ground breaking client and partnership.
BaaS was very much the key theme at Singapore Fintech Festival. I had some very interesting chats with tech platforms that are essentially the plumbing for banking. What does this mean? More consolidation of banks in the future and less likely more competition. If Westpac partners with Google for example, I can see mid-tier banks having to consolidate in order to survive. Is BaaS an opportunity for Aussie Neo Banks like Volt, Xinja and Douugh to partner with banks, on an international scale?
Jeez, the Fintech community knows how to host a party. Thanks to Rapyd, R3, GPS, Revolut, Visa, Standard Chartered and everyone else who held get together's for the community.
My highlights were a really intimate get together Paul Kang organised where Australia's very own Minster for Fintech, Jane Hume came along. I love the energy Senator Hume has for Fintech and she deserves more backing than what I could see was on offer from the Australian Government.
And I doubt I can forget an epic night eating Satay at a Hawker restaurant with the Standard Chartered innovation team and Fintech Australia's founding CEO Danielle Szetho - Happy days/nights!
Hell, Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Asia is a huge opportunity and one Australian Fintech simply cannot afford to ignore any longer.
October 15th - 17th Melbourne. Intersekt 2019, Fintech Australia's annual gathering took place. Tier One People Founder, Dexter Cousins shares the highlights of an outstanding event.
Wow! What an event. What a team.
Complimenting the team at Fintech Australia was our favourite MC and great friend Ghela Bhoskovich, Intersekt19 felt more like a celebration than a conference and there was a lot to celebrate.
Fintech in Australia has become a significant industry, with its own Minister it is a multi-billion dollar sector. While previous Intersekt events were great fun, some of us were secretly wondering whether we were drinking the Koolade. Exactly one year ago at Sibos 2018 I talked about the rise of Australian Fintech. The growth and progress we’ve seen in the last 12 months is phenomenal.
A year ago Fintech Australia were facing significant challenges and from the outside, things did not look promising. So, I’m in awe at how quickly the entire team at Fintech Australia has not only got the organisation back on track, but taken it to new heights.
If ever there’s a Phoenix from the flames story, Fintech Australia is it.
So, it was fitting that the VIP Speakers Dinner was the pinnacle of Intersekt for me. To finally meet so many people in the global Tier One People network and celebrate together was an unforgettable experience. There is an elevated feeling of community and kinship in Fintech I have not experienced in any other industry and it was heaps of fun. Fintech brings together a really special group of people.
And on that note I have to say a special well done to Rebecca Schot-Guppy for her dedication, commitment and relentless passion in making Intersekt and Fintech Australia what it is today.
A record number of international businesses were at this years Intersekt. Revolut, Klarna, Tink, True Layer were just a few whom we connected with.
So, what is making Australia so attractive to international Fintech?
Hats off to the Government for such an ambitious Consumer Data Right initiative. While the UK is ahead on Open Banking, Australia’s strategy is much broader with greater potential for innovation.
A similar demographic, geographic proximity to Asia and highly profitable banks with a burning platform for change are just some of the reasons for the foreign influx.
A lot of credit has to go to Vic Gov and the UK DIT who work so well together on the UK/Aus Fintech Bridge. Tess Thomas and the team have achieved a huge amount in the past 12 months. Vic Gov are doing everything in their power to make Melbourne the home of Australian Fintech. And they are attracting Fintech giants like Revolut, Stripe, Square and promising startups like True Layer.
FinTech Australia and EY launched the FinTech Australia Census 2019 at Intersekt. It is a study designed to profile and define the industry, identify inherent challenges and provide insights. Meredith Agnew, Partner Fintech for EY presented the latest findings - Download The Report
The previous day I recorded a Podcast with Duncan Currie, host of the Fintech Growth Podcast and Founder of Stage 3.
Coincidentally (or maybe not) many of the challenges founders have highlighted in the Census we cover in great detail in this podcast on hiring. Including the No1 challenge to come out of the research, Product/Market Fit.
It's worth a listen as I share some useful tips and insights on attracting talent. If you are Fintech leader or even if you are remotely interested in Fintech you need to subscribe to Duncan's podcast. He's a TOP man.
It was an excellent line up with AirWallex, AfterPay, Revolut, Klarna, Tink, Xinja, Up, Volt Bank, Prospa all sharing their views on growth and opportunities.
I have to confess, I had so many meetings I missed many of the panel sessions. Here are the sessions I couldn’t miss.
For a Big 4 bank CEO, Shayne Elliot is so candid when he chats which is refreshing. I am still not filled with confidence that the Big 4 banks are changing fast enough. The wash out from the Royal Commission has done little other than force investment in compliance which is hampering the ability to innovate.
When asked what he would focus on if he were to launch a Fintech, Shayne Elliott came straight out with SME banking (not just lending). He took a side swipe at the success of SME lenders who are supporting the very customers the big banks continue to ignore. As CEO of one of the worlds most profitable banks surely you're in a much stronger position to support small businesses than a couple of young guys in Surry Hills!?
Open Banking seems to be an unwanted distraction and while the right things are being said, the actions (or lack of) coming from the Big 4 suggests there’s a reluctance to progress.
I call Dom “The Steve Jobs of Australian Banking” so it was great to see him on stage twice!
Dom has a knack of cutting-through the noise and honing in on the real problems in banking. His style may not be to everyone’s liking, I think the man is a genius and the approach of Up Bank “Tech led Banking” is delivering an amazing product that customers love. Dom has built possibly the best tech team in Fintech outside of eastern europe.
My favourite quote from the whole event:
"I don't think we should go slowly. I think it's pretty simple. It's said in the acronym 'CDR': consumer data right. It's pretty obvious what it is,"
"The mind shift that needs to happen here...is that the consumers own that data. They have the right to do what they want with it, and they're the ones that control it, not the organisations that are currently the custodians of that data."
Anthony is one of the most promising CEO’s in Australia. His presentation was that good he literally had people queuing up asking for a job! Anthony presented on one of our key observations, the evolution to Fintech 2.0 and how Wisr are working to help Australians get out of debt and manage their wealth.
Thanks to everyone who came up and said 'Hi' at the event. I am blown away by the compliments, well wishes and support of you all. When I launched Tier One back in 2016, it was with a vision to become the leading brand for recruitment in Fintech.
It feels like the vision is becoming a reality based on your feedback, introductions and support we received over the three days. I can't thank you all enough.
We’ll be making some major announcements soon on new clients and exciting opportunities.
If you are in Fintech, Banking or Financial Services and want to make some serious business connections Intersekt is the must attend event for Australia. Like Sibos 2018, there is real intent at the event for business to be done and key decision makers, investors and government are available and willing to talk.
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