pay.com.au appoints John Herlihy as Board Chair, adds two non-executive directors
The Australian fintech bolsters governance as it enters its next phase of growth
pay.com.au, the B2B payments and rewards platform, today announced the appointment of former Google and LinkedIn executive John Herlihy as Chairman of the Board, alongside the addition of experienced leaders Sally Freeman and Anthony Robinson as non-executive directors. 
A seasoned technology leader with over 30 years of experience, Herlihy has a distinguished track record of scaling global technology companies. During his more than 15 years in executive leadership roles at Google and LinkedIn, he played a key role in driving strategic growth across EMEA and Latin America. Herlihy will join co-founders Damien Waller and Ed Alder on the company board.
His international operational expertise is complemented by his background as a Chartered Accountant and prior senior roles at Adobe, Oracle, and PeopleSoft. Herlihy currently serves on multiple boards as a non-executive director for companies including OpenAI Ireland, STATSports, asset management firm Carne, and US advisory and investing platform Consello.
Freeman brings more than three decades of experience in professional services and risk management, with governance expertise spanning wealth, health, technology, sport and government sectors. Robinson is a highly regarded executive with significant experience across wealth management and insurance, further strengthening the board’s growth strategy. 
“We are thrilled to welcome John, Sally and Anthony to the board. Their collective experience scaling global technology companies will be instrumental as we accelerate our growth and expand the value we bring to our customers through new partnerships and products,” said pay.com.au CEO Grant Austin. “These appointments reinforce our ambition to lead the next generation of business payments by helping businesses unlock more from every dollar they spend.”
The appointments come at a pivotal time for pay.com.au. As interest rates continue to rise, small businesses are looking for smarter ways to protect cash flow. The company recently expanded its platform with the launch of its FX product to enable customers to earn rewards on international payments.
With more than 70,000 business customers, 16 redemption partners and over 10 billion PayRewards redeemed, pay.com.au has built strong momentum in the Australian technology market.
Operating in an addressable market valued at over AUD $41 trillion across both Australia and the US, pay.com.au is redefining how businesses manage payments by enabling them to earn rewards on expenses that have traditionally gone unrewarded, thereby unlocking greater value from everyday business spend.
“The team is addressing a very clear gap in the market for small businesses with a compelling platform and innovative product offerings,” said Herlihy. “I’m excited to join the board at such an important stage and look forward to supporting the team to scale the business to new heights and bring its long-term vision to life.”
