FinTech Australia appoints Nick Kavass as policy lead

FinTech Australia, an association for the Australian fintech start-up community, has appointed former Federal Government adviser Nick Kavass to the newly created role of policy lead, effective July 2022.

Kavass has a wealth of experience in two key agencies in Australia – the Treasury and the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). He joined the Treasury in February 2016 as a policy analyst and then took the role of department liaison officer in February 2018. He then served as a lawyer at ASIC from August 2019 to February 2021 and became Australia’s policy adviser, assistant treasurer, and minister for housing from February 2021 to July 2022.

“[FinTech Australia] has served as a key voice in shaping the government’s stance on important regulatory issues,” said Kavass, who told ITWire he has interacted with FinTech Australia on policy matters over the years.

Read more: Fintech Australia appoints Andrew Porter as CEO

FinTech Australia general manager Rehan D’Almedia said Kavass’s experience at the Treasury and ASIC makes him invaluable in helping the peak body articulate its policy agenda: “This is an exciting and key appointment for the organisation.”

 “I look forward to working with Rehan and the broader fintech community to navigate what is shaping up to be a complex framework of policies for the sector,” Kavass added. “I suspect I’ll be meeting many of our members at Intersekt in September, which will set the policy agenda for our work over the next 12 months.”

Kavass’s entrance to FinTech Australia follows the peak body’s appointment of a new chief executive officer (CEO).