Australian Payments Plus (AP+) is delighted to announce that Greg Cooper and John Murphy will be appointed as independent directors. They join Catherine Brenner and Naomi Simson as independent directors and complete the AP+ board alongside shareholder representatives.
Greg Cooper brings significant non-executive director experience across financial services on both private and ASX listed entities and in venture capital. Greg currently holds directorship positions including NSW Treasury Corporation and Perpetual Limited and is the Chair of Colonial First State Investments Limited. Greg is also a director for several start-up and not-for-profit organisations.
Greg was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Schroder Investment Management Australia Limited with responsibility for the global Schroders Institutional Business. Prior to this, he was the Head of the Towers Perrin actuarial and asset consulting practice in Asia. He also served as the Chair of the Financial Services Council. In addition, Greg has direct, hands-on experience with small business as an owner and operator of a regionally based small business and Tracks Media, a surf media business that publishes Australia’s leading surf magazine.
John Murphy is a seasoned corporate executive with more than thirty-five years in the banking sector managing payment products and services, deposits and transaction services. From 2016 through to 2020, John was the Commonwealth Deputy Secretary, Payments Reform and then Deputy CEO and Chief Transformation Officer at Services Australia. This included leading the reform of the Australian Government’s welfare payments processes and technology that delivers welfare benefits to more than 7 million Australians annually.
John is currently the CEO of Azupay, a payments fintech that focuses on providing a range of realtime payment solutions for businesses, government, and consumers, having been appointed to the role in September 2020.
Catherine Brenner, Chair of Australian Payments Plus said the two appointments would bring a powerful combination of strong governance experience and deep payments expertise to the AP+ Board, which would be important as AP+ looks to deliver more innovative, efficient and competitive payments solutions and services to Australian payment providers and users.
“I am delighted to have two individuals of Greg and John’s calibre join the AP+ Board. Greg’s deep expertise and experience in dealing with a broad range of stakeholders will be invaluable while John’s vast experience spanning payments, government and fintechs means he can bring a unique perspective regarding the diverse range of needs of payment providers and users”.
The AP+ Board will have 13 directors comprising four independent directors (including the Chair) and nine directors drawn from AP+ shareholders1. The Board will work closely with a broad range of stakeholders across the payments industry via its two Advisory Committees.
AP+ will formally appoint its Board early in 2022.
1Four directors representing the four major banks, three directors drawn from AP+ non-ADI shareholders and two directors representing non-major ADI shareholders