Global financial technology company Airwallex has strengthened its leadership in the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) region by appointing Elana Rubin AM as independent chair of its Australian board. Joining her is former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sir Bill English, who will serve as an independent non-executive director on the Australian board.
These appointments, effective immediately, reflect Airwallex’s focus on strengthening institutional-grade governance as it enters a new phase of growth in the Oceanic market. Sir Bill English’s role on the Australian board follows his recent appointment as chair of Airwallex’s New Zealand board on March 26.
Profiles in leadership: unparalleled expertise
The new board members bring extensive experience across technology, public policy, and finance:
- Elana Rubin AM: Currently serves as a non-executive director at Dexus, a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Governance Board, and chair of the Australian Business Growth Fund. Her previous roles include chair of Afterpay, AustralianSuper, and the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority, as well as directorships at Telstra and Mirvac
- Sir Bill English: Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and long-serving Minister of Finance. His current roles include non-executive director at Wesfarmers, chair of Mount Cook Alpine Salmon, and leadership positions at Impact Lab Ltd and the Paul Ramsay Foundation
Deepening the impact on the Australian economy
Airwallex has grown from a Melbourne-based startup into a key player in Australia’s digital economy. The company’s scale is reflected in several key metrics:
- Customer base: Over 40,000 Australian businesses, including Qantas, Canva, CultureAmp, and Afterpay
- Transaction volume: More than $39 billion in annual payments processed for Australian customers
- Market presence: Infrastructure provider for nearly 40% of Australia’s digital and technology sector
The vision: AI-enabled financial operations
Looking ahead, Airwallex is increasingly focused on building intelligent financial infrastructure. Co-founder Jack Zhang highlighted that the experience brought by Rubin and English will support the company’s next phase of global expansion.
The company is embedding artificial intelligence across its core products, including payments, treasury, and spend management, with the goal of:
- Automating financial operations: Reducing manual processes for scaling businesses
- Optimizing working capital: Providing better tools for liquidity and cash flow management
- Delivering real-time insights: Enabling a complete view of global financial performance
Airwallex: global presence at a glance
- Founded: Melbourne, 2015
- Global reach: 250,000+ businesses worldwide
- Regulatory footprint: 80+ licenses across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific
- Workforce: 2,200+ employees across 26 offices
- Headquarters: Dual HQ in San Francisco and Singapore
