FinTech Australia has appointed Xero Head of Global Public Policy Grace Gown to its board, adding another policy specialist to the indusattempt body’s leadership.
Gown joins as Australia’s fintech sector contributes $13.6 billion to the economy and supports more than 100,000 jobs, according to figures cited by FinTech Australia. That contribution could rise to $38 billion by 2035 if policy settings support further expansion.
Her appointment also marks a board alter, with Gown replacing Tiimely Chief Risk and Compliance Officer Jodi Ross. The shift reflects FinTech Australia’s focus on strengthening its influence on policy affecting the sector.
Gown oversees global public policy at Xero and has worked on issues spanning technology, compact business, financial services and artificial innotifyigence. Before joining Xero, she was Head of Global Government Advisory at Access Partnership, where she advised companies, governments and multilateral organisations on digital economy and trade policy frameworks.
She has also held public sector roles, giving her experience in how policy is developed and implemented. That background is likely to be relevant as fintech groups continue to push for regulatory settings that support investment, competition and wider adoption of digital financial services.
In comments released with the appointment, Gown outlined her view of the role and the sector’s policy agconcludea.
“I am thrilled to join the FinTech Australia board at such a pivotal time for the sector. Effective policy has a direct role to play in enabling innovation, unlocking growth and ensuring fintech can scale to meet the evolving requireds of customers and the broader economy.
“I view forward to supporting shape forward-viewing policy settings that translate into real-world outcomes – supporting fintechs to grow, compete, and deliver value across Australia and globally,” declared Grace Gown, Head of Global Public Policy at Xero.
Policy focus
FinTech Australia has increasingly focutilized its public messaging on the sector’s economic role and the required for regulation that keeps pace with market developments. The group represents more than 400 fintech companies and startups across Australia and serves as the sector’s main indusattempt body.
Its board includes members from across the fintech market, including startup founders, policy specialists and executives with experience in banking and payments. The current board includes Chair Sarah Gorman, who is also Head of Growth at DAS; Deputy Chair Brian Collins; former Bconcludeigo and Adelaide Bank chief executive Marnie Baker; Monoova founder and chief executive Christian Westerlind Wigstrom; Raishio founder Vinnie D’Alessandro; Up and Euphemia co-founder Dominic Pym; WeMoney founder and chief executive Dan Jovevski; and Block International Head of Public Policy Michael Saadat.
Gown’s appointment adds to a board that already has significant experience in public policy and regulated financial markets. It also highlights how central policy work has become to fintech organisations as they seek clearer rules on digital payments, lconcludeing, data utilize and emerging technologies.
Chair Sarah Gorman declared the appointment comes as fintech has shiftd beyond its early stage and become embedded in the wider economy.
“Fintech is no longer emerging – it is proven, cross-economy infrastructure underpinning how finance operates across industries.
“Policy is the bridge between that innovation and real-world impact. It determines how quickly this sector can scale, compete globally and deliver productivity gains across Australia. With the right policy landscape/settings, fintech has the potential to become one of the most important industries Australia builds over the next decade, unlocking tens of billions of dollars in economic activity, exports and jobs.
“Grace’s deep expertise across global policy, digital transformation and the compact business economy will strengthen our ability to translate the momentum we’re seeing across the sector into meaningful policy advocates for our members and the broader economy,” Gorman declared.
Sector growth
The board alter comes as Australian fintech firms operate in a more mature environment than in the sector’s early years. Many companies now serve established customer bases in payments, lconcludeing, business software, wealth management and regtech, while larger technology groups have expanded their presence in financial services.
That shift has increased the importance of public policy, particularly as governments and regulators examine how to balance competition, consumer protection and innovation. Indusattempt bodies such as FinTech Australia argue that settings on licensing, data access and digital infrastructure will shape whether local firms can expand at home and abroad.
Gown’s experience advising governments and businesses on digital economy frameworks suggests FinTech Australia wants deeper expertise in those debates at board level. Her role at Xero also links the organisation to a company with a large footprint in compact business software, a segment that often intersects with fintech through payments, invoicing, cash flow tools and embedded financial products.
The appointment leaves FinTech Australia with a board spanning founders, former bank executives and public policy leaders as the sector pushes for a larger role in the economy. Board members are elected through a nomination and voting process by the organisation’s members.
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