Australia’s first neobank to receive an unrestricted ADI licence, Volt, is announcing the appointment of Julian Sawyer as an advisor.
Mr. Sawyer brings with him international banking experience across the UK and Europe as recently-appointed Managing Director (Europe) of cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, and as co-founder and former Chief Operating Officer of UK neobank, Starling.
Starling was one of the first neobanks in the UK to receive its banking licence and employs a similar platform-based banking model, like Volt.
At Starling, Mr. Sawyer helped to build the platform-based neobank from the ground up. It now holds more than £1 billion of deposits in around 1 million personal and business accounts.
Speaking of the appointment, CEO & Co-Founder of Volt, Steve Weston, said: “Mr. Sawyer’s global experience and detailed knowledge of processes and systems in digital banking will provide Volt with invaluable insights on our own journey to 1 million+ customers.
“His experience in fintech together with building the platform business at Starling is particularly relevant to Volt. His recent appointment to crypto exchange, Gemini, also brings another perspective to the Volt management team.
“These alignments in strategy, coupled with the fact that the UK and European markets are several years further developed than Australia, will help us avoid potential pitfalls and make more informed decisions as we progress to our public launch next year.”
Speaking of his new role, Volt advisor, Julian Sawyer, said: “Building a digital bank from the ground up is no small feat - it requires a pretty special team with a great vision and a practical hands-on attitude that will make things happen. This is exactly what I recognised in the culture at Volt.
“Given the UK and European markets are several years ahead of the Australian market, there are also many learnings that I can share and the team can apply proactively.
“It was with great pleasure that I jumped at the chance to join such a dynamic and visionary team.”