Open banking platform Railsbank has hired a general manager for Australia where it has a partnership with a local neobank.
Ben Smith has been named general manager for Australia, according to a statement from the London-headquartered fintech.
Smith has been tasked with managing the firm’s strategic direction in Australia, particularly with regards to the growth of embedded finance; partnership with customers and key stakeholders; and the development of products and operations.
Smith has over 20 years of experience across startups and global multinational firms in the U.K. and Australia, most recently as the head of sales (ANZ) for Ant Group subsidiary WorldFirst. Previously, he was the global sales director at Nexpay.
Australia Focus
The new hire occurs two months after Railsbank first entered the Australian market and launched its embedded finance offering via a partnership with local neobank Volt.
«[Smith’s] appointment reflects our commitment to strengthen Railsbank’s Australian presence and is representative of the strategic value we see in the embedded finance market in the region,» said Railsbank chief executive and co-founder Nigel Verdon.
In addition to the U.K. and Australia, Railsbank also has offices in Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, the U.S., Germany, and Lithuania.
