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Melbourne-founded fintech Airwallex has appointed James Teodorini as head of its Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) operations, tapping into his experience with global money-transfer group Thunes to manage one of its fastest-growing regions.
Teodorini, who has a decade of experience in the financial services and technology sectors across the Asia Pacific and Europe, replaces Luke Latham who left the company as ANZ general manager at the end of 2024 after just 18 months in the role.
The appointment comes on the heels of Airwallex hitting annualised revenue of US$1 billion ($1.5 billion) in October last year, with ANZ adding to the momentum by delivering 83 per cent year-on-year growth in transaction volume in the September quarter.
Airwallex APAC general manager Arnold Chan says Teodorini’s appointment comes at a “pivotal time” for the company as it marks its 10th anniversary.
“James brings the commercial leadership and operational rigour needed to help modern businesses scale with our platform,” says Chan.
“James stood out for his deep understanding of global payments and proven ability to scale innovative financial software and platforms, amongst the exceptional leaders we met from around the world. We’re thrilled to have him lead our ANZ business in its next phase of growth.”
Airwallex, a global payments and financial platform for businesses, was born from the payments frustrations of running a Melbourne coffee shop in 2015.
The company, which is still led by co-founder Jack Zhang, boosted its valuation by 30 per cent to US$8 billion ($12 billion) in just six months following a US$330 million ($497 million) Series G capital raise completed last month.
The valuation is backed by annualised transaction volume of US$235 billion, which had doubled in the year to the end of October.
“It’s a privilege to lead the region where Airwallex’s story began in Melbourne in 2015,” says Teodorini.
“Its vision to support business to scale globally was clear. Ten years on, that vision continues to accelerate, testament to Airwallex’s world-class team and how they are building the future of finance.”
In a LinkedIn post, Teodorini describes Airwallex as “the dictionary definition of a rocket ship”, adding that the opportunity for the group in ANZ is “immense”.
“Australia is Airwallex’s home market, founded by Jack and the team in Melbourne, and the heart of the business remains firmly here. It’s absolutely the right moment to be joining the business," he says.
“Australia has always been central to my life and my career. I’ve spent years working across ANZ with Currencycloud, Visa Direct and Thunes while being based in Singapore, so this move feels both natural and overdue.
“Between work and family ties, I’ve probably spent more time on the Singapore–Sydney run than is healthy. Moving properly was inevitable, which made this decision an easy one.”
During his time at Thunes, a fast-growing fintech in the cross-border payments sector, Teodorini ran the Asia Pacific commercial operations of the business and was responsible for driving revenue and market expansion across what he describes as “some of the most complex and high-potential markets in the world”.
Airwallex, which supports more than 200,000 businesses globally, is headquartered Singapore but more recently announced San Francisco as a dual global headquarters as the group continues to expand in the US.
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