Fintech Chatter: Conversations with Fintech Leaders
by Dexter Cousins | Founder, Tier One People
370+ episodes. 40+ countries. The podcast fintech leaders actually listen to. Fintech Chatter is where founders, executives, and investors behind the world's most ambitious fintech companies share their journey. We cover topics like raising capital, scaling internationally, hiring leadership teams, and the challenges of building with emerging technologies across payments, crypto, AI, wealth, insurance. If it's in Fintech we've got you covered. Hosted by Dexter Cousins, founder of Tier One People, Australia's dedicated executive search firm for fintech and and the Digital Economy. With 200+ executive hires across the sector and a decade of running his own business, Dexter brings an operator's lens to every conversation. New episodes biweekly. If you're building, investing, or leading a fintech company - this is your podcast. Follow Dexter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com
Episodes
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Why AI startups may not need VC: Michael Batko - Hourglass AI
Looking to scale your fintech leadership team? Start at tieronepeople.com Michael Batko is the founder of Hourglass AI, which helps Australian companies find, build and run the AI their whole team uses, after investing in 250 companies over eight years at Startmate. He breaks down how Australian…
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How to Build a Resilient FinTech Company | Soraya Alali - Zip Co
Looking to scale your fintech leadership team? Start at tieronepeople.com After 7 years of asking we finally have Zip on the show! And it is definitely worth the wait. Zip Co is one of the jewels in the Australian fintech crown. But this show could so easily have not happened. In 2022 Zip's share...
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Embedded FX for Enterprise: Matt Barr - Send Payments
Looking to scale your fintech leadership team? Start at tieronepeople.com Matt Barr is CEO of Send Payments, the Australian company that embeds cross-border FX into enterprise platforms including PEXA, BoardRoom and pay.com.au. He explains why those partners choose Send on compliance ahead of...
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Creating a Bank People Love: Xavier Shay - Up
Looking to scale your fintech leadership team? Start at tieronepeople.com Xavier Shay is the CEO of Up, the Australian digital bank that reached a million customers on word of mouth and has been standalone profitable for the last twelve months. He joined as employee 27, was CTO before taking the...
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Intersekt Chats: Caroline on HelloClever's remarkable growth across Asia
If you're looking to scale your executive leadership team - start at tieronepeople.com Welcome to our series recorded live from Interesekt/26. Dexter Cousins catches up with friends of the show at Australia's premiere Fintech event in Melbourne. Hello Clever CEO Caroline Tran gives Dexter Cousins...
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Intersekt Chats: Piers Cracknell - Banking Circle Australia
If you're looking to scale your executive leadership team - start at tieronepeople.com Welcome to our series recorded live from Interesekt/26. Dexter Cousins catches up with friends of the show at Australia's premiere Fintech event in Melbourne. Piers Cracknell CEO for Banking Circle Australia...
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Intersekt Chats: Ben Ford - MogoPlus
If you're looking to scale your executive leadership team - start at tieronepeople.com Welcome to our series recorded live from Intersekt. Dexter Cousins catches up with friends of the show at Australia's premiere Fintech event in Melbourne. This chat features Ben Ford aka The Body of Fintech!…
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Aaron Violi - From Fintech startup to Canberra Politician.
Scaling your Fintech executive team? Start at tieronepeople.com Can Australian startups thrive under current policy? Shadow Minister Aaron Violi discusses the future of our tech sector. In this episode of FinTech Chatter, Dexter Cousins sits down with Aaron Violi, Federal Member for Casey and...
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Stripe Tour Sydney 2026 - Karl Durrance
If you're scaling a fintech leadership team, start at tieronepeople.com Karl Durrance is Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand at Stripe, the payments infrastructure company. Australia NZ is Stripes 3rd largest region globally, serving over one million customers and onboards 37,000 new...
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Exclusive! Constantinople and MOVE Bank Migration
If you're building an executive team to scale your Fintech, start at tieronepeople.com Move Bank has become the first bank in the world to move its entire operation, technology, product, operations and compliance, onto Constantinople's platform. In this episode Dexter Cousins is joined by Move…
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Sam Everington and Mark Bernhardi: How Starling's Tech Now Runs Other Banks
If you're building a fintech leadership team, start at tieronepeople.com - executive search for Fintech. Sam Everington joined Starling Bank ten years ago as one of its first twenty employees. He led the build of the technology that has made Starling a Fintech giant - 4.5 million customers and a…
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Peter Jones - Nimo Industries: Breaking into Mutual Banks
Looking to take your leadership team to the next level? Start at tieronepeople.com Peter Jones co-founded Nimo Industries with Leann Jones after living the core banking problem himself as a mutual bank CEO. Ten years ago he decided solve the problem for himself. Today, Nimo is a platform serving...
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Andy Taylor - Stakk: The Ten Year Overnight Success.
If you're scaling a fintech leadership team, start at tieronepeople.com Andy Taylor is the founder and CEO of ASX-listed Stakk Limited (ASX: SKK), an embedded trust and fraud prevention platform used by Chime, Robinhood, T-Mobile and H&R Block. In this episode Andy breaks down Stakk's proposed...
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Steve Hind | Lorikeet: The $50m AI Startup Every VC Wanted In.
If you're looking for AI Native leaders - start at www.tieronepeople.com Steve Hind is the co-founder and CEO of Lorikeet, an Australian AI startup that has raised more than $50 million USD to build AI concierges for high-regulation businesses in fintech, healthcare and energy. Lorikeet's…
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Clayton Howes - MoneyMe: The leadership shift every founder must make to scale
If you're scaling a fintech leadership team, start at tieronepeople.com Clayton Howes is the CEO of MONEYME (ASX: MME), an Australian non-bank lender that has originated over $5 billion in consumer credit and now manages a $1.9 billion loan book across personal loans, credit cards, and car…
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$480 - $4.7bn Australia's OG Peer to Peer Lender: Michelle Bagnall - Bank First
Looking to upscale your fintech leadership team? Start at tieronepeople.com Michelle Bagnall is the CEO of BankFirst, a mutual bank with 92,000 members and $4.7 billion in assets that exists to serve nurses and teachers in Australia. In this episode she tells Dexter the origin story of a bank…
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Why AI Will Rewire the Entire Finance Sector. Jamie Twiss - Beforepay Group
Fintech Chatter is presented by www.tieronepeople.com - executive search for Fintech. In this episode Dexter chats to Jamie Twiss CEO of Beforepay Group (ASX: B4P) and Carrington Labs. Jamie joined Beforepay pre-IPO, turning them from a startup into a profitable ASX-listed fintech writing 40,000...
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Fred Schebesta: 20 Years of Finder, Beating ASIC, and Why Stablecoins Already Won
Fred Schebesta co-founded Finder in 2006, grew it to five markets over 20 years, won a landmark Federal Court case against ASIC over the Finder Earn product, and is CEO of Finder Ventures. In this episode of Fintech Chatter we cover where Finder Rewards is going, why stablecoins have quietly won...
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Chris Brycki - Stockspot: Building Australia's Largest Robo-Adviser
If you're scaling your fintech leadership team, start at tieronepeople.com Chris Brycki founded Stockspot in 2013 with no income, no office and no VC, and built it into Australia's largest automated investment service with $1.5 billion under management. In this episode, Chris and Dexter discuss...
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10 Years of Raiz: $2.1 Billion - What's next? CEO, Brendan Malone
Brendan Malone, CEO of Raiz Invest, joins Dexter Cousins to mark 10 years since Raiz launched to Australian retail investors. From a joint venture with US micro-investing app Acorns in 2015, Raiz has grown to $2.1 billion in funds under management, over 330,000 active monthly users and over $5.5...
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David Hyman- MonoAI
David Hyman co-founded Lendi Group in 2013 and built it into Australia's largest non-bank mortgage platform with a $107 billion loan book, 5 million customers, and $350 million in annual revenue. He stepped down as CEO in January 2026 and within weeks was building his next company. In his fourth...
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4000 Jobs Gone. What to do next.
Block Just Cut 4,000 Jobs. WiseTech Cut 2,000. Here's What To Do Next. Last week was a wake-up call for anyone working in fintech and tech in Australia. Block — the company behind Square, Cash App, and Afterpay — cut more than 4,000 employees. That's nearly half the company, down from over 10,000...
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Checkbox AI CEO: $23M Series A After 9 Years Bootstrapping
🔥 We find the 1% who redefine what's possible - Executive search for fintech → https://tieronepeople.com Checkbox AI just raised $23M at $100M valuation serving enterprise customers SAP, PepsiCo, Telstra, and Woolworths. CEO Evan Wong shares the 9-year journey from bootstrapped startup to...
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One Million Aus Customers - Matt Baxby, Revolut
Tier One People placed Matt Baxby as Revolut Australia's founding CEO. Six years later: 1M customers, profitable. The right leader changes everything. Looking for your next hire? Contact Dexter Cousins for a confidential discussion. Welcome back to Fintech Chatter Podcast - In our first episode…
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Networking | Finding Your Next Job In Fintech part 3
Most people treat networking like fitness - they lie on the sofa for three years, then panic when they're out of shape. In this episode, Dexter Cousins breaks down the 95-5 principle: 95% of your job hunting success comes from 5% of your network. Learn how to identify the critical 5% of your...
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Building Your Professional Brand in Fintech
🚀 Hire outstanding Fintech talent - https://tieronepeople.com ✅ Follow Dexter on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dextercousins/ ⬇️ Download the worksheet - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rkcgAsabfYtPrZw1owzg1BpsnUxvLCDR/view?usp=sharing In this episode of FinTech Chatter, Dexter Cousins...
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Finding Your Next Role in Fintech - Episode 1
Thinking about your next career move in 2026? Maybe you're actively hunting for your next role in Fintech? This is Episode 1 of a 5-part series that completely flips the script on job hunting in fintech. Whether you're looking for a permanent role or exploring fractional opportunities, this...
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Weekly Insight: The Silent Crisis of Job Seekers
In this episode, Dexter discusses the silent crisis affecting job seekers, highlighting the alarming rates of burnout and mental health issues before employment. He explores the current job market landscape, the challenges candidates face, and the impact of financial stress on mental health....
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Dexter's Weekly Insight - Why Being A Fractional Exec Sucks!
Dexter Cousins brings a new weekly insight on Fintech careers and hiring. In this episode he explores the growing trend of C-suite professionals contemplating a shift from their current roles to alternatives that better support their well-being. While at the same time executives who have made the...
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Where Defi Meets Tradfi - Dan Jowett, OpenMarkets Group
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins speaks with Dan Jowett, CEO of OpenMarkets Group, about the rapid convergence of Tradfi and DeFi About OpenMarkets Group Power your Fintech, Advisory, or Trading business with an end-to-end Wealth Management and Trading solutions.…
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Unlocking Crypto Compliance with AI - Joni Pirovich, Crystal AOS
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins speaks with Joni Pirovich, a crypto compliance expert and founder of Crystal AOS. They discuss Joni's journey from being a crypto lawyer to a tech founder, the challenges of hiring in the compliance space, and the role of AI in enhancing...
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Ethereum Staking with Jake Denny - Pier Two
Is Ethereum the layer to exchange value via the internet? In this episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins speaks with Jake Denny, Chief Commercial Officer of Pier Two, about Ethereum staking and its commercial potential. Tune in for a discussion on the differences between Ethereum…
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Bridging the Gap Between Tradfi and Digital Assets - Morty Tollo, Fastables
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, Dexter Cousins speaks with Morty Tollo, co-founder of Elbaite and Faststables.com, about the intersection of traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralised finance (DeFi). They discuss the evolution of Elbaite, the importance of stablecoins in solving everyday...
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Giving 100% selling certainty to home sellers - Dean Fraser, Brickfloor
In this final episode on Housing Affordability, Fintech Chatter host, Dexter Cousins speaks with Dean Fraser, founder of BrickFloor. BrickFloor aims to help "Forever Renters" through innovative property technology and fintech solutions, including a market price guarantee product that locks in a...
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Nuj Super - Matt McKenzie
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins speaks with Matt McKenzie, CEO and co-founder of Nuj, a Regtech company making serious strides in the Aus$ 4trn Superannuation sector. Nuj’s plug-and-play solution streamlines workflows while ensuring compliance with all current and upcoming...
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Building the Internet of Debt - Stuart McGregor, OSQO
Another instalment of our series on Housing Affordability! In this episode, Dexter speaks with OSQO CEO Stuart McGregor on how they're using Blockchain technology to solve housing affordability and the last frontier of finance yet to be adapted for the internet - Debt! Starting with deposit gap...
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From Employee 2 to 10,002: Alan Costello on the Afterpay Story
Kicking off a new career series on Fintech Chatter, Dexter Cousins speaks with Alan Costello, employee number two at Afterpay, about his journey from the early days of the company to its current status as a global leader in the fintech space. As Alan reflects on 10 years with the business he…
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Giving First time Buyers a Leg Up - Michael Ragavan
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, we continue our series on the challenges of housing affordability in Australia. Dexter Cousins speaks with Michael Ragavan, founder of Our Leg Up. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Housing Affordability 02:48 The Concept of OurLegUp 05:37 Innovation in Financial...
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Co-Operty: A New Path to Homeownership
In this episode of our special series on Housing Affordability, Dexter speaks with Lynda Coker, co-founder of Co-Operty, about their innovative solution enabling fractional co-ownership of property. Here's what's discussed. 00:00 Introduction to Housing Affordability and Co-Opity 01:51...
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10 Years of Valiant With Ritchie Cotton
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins speaks with Ritchie Cotton, co-founder of Valiant Finance, about the company's journey over the past decade. Key Talking Points Valiant connects small businesses with the right finance options. The company has helped nearly 25,000 small...
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Downsizer - The Role of Downsizing in Addressing Housing Affordability
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, Dexter Cousins speaks with Mark Macduffie of Downsizer about the pressing issue of housing affordability in Australia. They discuss the challenges faced by the downsizer segment, the innovative solutions being implemented in the FinTech space, and the…
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Frontya - Fixing Housing Affordability Ep3
In the third part of our Fixing Housing Affordability series, host Dexter Cousins speaks with Nir Golan and Robbie Baskin from Frontya. We showcase another innovative approach to tackling housing affordability in Australia. Frontya have identified the challenges faced by first home buyers are...
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Innovating Home Ownership: James Bowe from OwnHome
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, host Dexter Cousins chats with James Bowe, CEO and co-founder of OwnHome, about the innovative solutions his company is bringing to the housing market. James shares insights into the challenges of housing affordability and accessibility in Australia, and how...
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Mondus Capital - Aussie Fintech's Fixing Housing Affordability
Welcome to Fintech Chatter Podcast. We're dedicating the month of August to showcase the Australian founders passionate about solving the housing affordability crisis. Dexter Cousins kicks off the series with Lucinda Hartley of Mondus Capital. Lucinda shares how she's leveraging her background as…
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Fintech is only 1% Finished - David M. Brear 11:FS
Welcome back to Fintech Chatter Podcast! In this episode your host Dexter Cousins invites guest No2 back onto the show. David M. Brear is CEO of 11:FS Group and 11:FS Holdings. The award winning digital consultancy has built digital banks all over the world and through 11:FS holdings, David and…
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Indebted, Global Expansion, Series C and Lessons Learned - Josh Foreman
Dexter welcomes back Josh Foreman to discuss their global expansion and recent Series C capital raise. Josh first appeared on the show in 2020 and he shares the lessons he has learned from writing Indebted's first line of code to launching in 7 countries! Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Indebted…
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Global Bank CEO Turns Fintech Founder - Antony Jenkins, 10x Banking
Dexter Cousins interviews Antony Jenkins, the CEO and founder of 10X Banking, the core banking platform that makes banking ten times better. Antony stands out in Fintech as the global CEO of Barclays who decided to start a fintech. Tune in for a deep dive into the challenges of core banking, the...
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Antony Jenkins, 10x Banking - Trailer
Antony Jenkins, CEO and Founder of 10x Banking joins Dexter Cousins to talk about the Future of 10x and the Fintech Industry - Full interview available Monday 7th April Send us Fan Mail Connect on with Dexter Cousins on Linkedin Hire Exceptional Fintech Talent Subscribe on LinkedIn
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The Bootstrap Journey of a Fintech Founder - Julian Fayad, LoanOptions.ai
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, Dexter Cousins interviews Julian Fayad, CEO of LoanOptions.ai about the challenges and advantages of bootstrapping a fintech company from the ground up. LoanOptions.ai aims to revolutionise the loan application process. Julian shares insights into how they’re...
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Athena, The Heroes Journey - Michael Starkey and Nathan Walsh
In this episode of Fintech Chatter, Dexter Cousins chats to Nathan Walsh and Michael Starkey, Co-Founders of Athena Home Loans. Making their long awaited return to the show, Nathan and Michael discuss their journey over the past four years, and the insane challenges they’ve had to navigate as...
About this show
370+ episodes. 40+ countries. The podcast fintech leaders actually listen to.
Fintech Chatter is where founders, executives, and investors behind the world's most ambitious fintech companies share their journey.
We cover topics like raising capital, scaling internationally, hiring leadership teams, and the challenges of building with emerging technologies across payments, crypto, AI, wealth, insurance. If it's in Fintech we've got you covered.
Hosted by Dexter Cousins, founder of Tier One People, Australia's dedicated executive search firm for fintech and and the Digital Economy.
With 200+ executive hires across the sector and a decade of running his own business, Dexter brings an operator's lens to every conversation.
New episodes biweekly. If you're building, investing, or leading a fintech company - this is your podcast.
Follow Dexter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com
Hosted by
Dexter Cousins | Founder, Tier One People
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