The SME Stream

Australian fintech pioneer and serial entrepreneur Dom Pym knows a thing or two about starting companies and scaling them into market-leading players.
This week’s episode of The Business of Tech dives into Pym’s extraordinary journey, from bootstrapping niche financial platforms to building one of Australia’s most popular digital banks – Up – and then reinventing himself as one of the region’s most active startup investors.
Pym’s path into fintech started long before “fintech” was a buzzword. After a whirlwind early career working with Fortune 500 giants, he went on to build a grain exchange platform that digitised how Australian farmers sell their product, followed by Pin Payments, an all‑in‑one payments service that expanded into New Zealand, Asia, the UK and the US before being acquired.
That set the stage for Up, the app‑based bank that hacked its way through regulatory and infrastructure hurdles to become a breakout success with younger customers and a major strategic asset for Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.
Now, post‑exit, Pym is channelling that experience into backing others. As Australian Investor of the Year, he’s supporting funds and startups via his family office, and pushing for more secondary deals so founders don’t have to wait a decade for liquidity.
In The Business of Tech, he explains his investing philosophy, why he doesn’t obsess over unicorn valuations, and how he thinks about risk in an era dominated by AI and software.
Pym is heading to Auckland in September to deliver a keynote at the inaugural NZ Tech Expo, New Zealand’s new flagship gathering for founders, investors and corporate leaders.
If you want a preview of the themes he’ll bring to the stage – and a candid assessment of where New Zealand tech needs to lift its game – check this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, streaming on iHeartRadio or in your podcast app of choice.
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What does it take to build a workplace where people genuinely belong and can do their best work?
In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Evan Bateup, Partner and Chief People & Inclusion Officer at KPMG New Zealand.
Drawing on a non-traditional career journey that spans operations, change, sales, marketing, and people leadership, Evan shares practical insights into leadership, inclusion, culture, and the role HR can play in creating meaningful impact.
From belonging and organisational culture to commercial HR, leadership capability, and the future of work, this conversation explores what it takes to create environments where both people and businesses can thrive.

What You'll Learn
Why inclusion is about more than diversity metrics

The role belonging plays in engagement and performance

How HR can become a true strategic business partner

Why curiosity is one of the most valuable leadership traits

The difference between leadership principles and leadership certainty

How organisations can create environments where people flourish

Why commercial understanding is critical for modern HR leaders

Key Takeaways
Great leaders create the conditions for others to succeed

Belonging drives engagement, performance, and retention

HR creates the most value when it's deeply connected to the business

Curiosity and humility are critical leadership skills

Strong cultures are built through everyday behaviours, not statements on a wall


About Evan Bateup
Evan Bateup is Partner and Chief People & Inclusion Officer at KPMG New Zealand. With experience spanning operations, sales, marketing, change, and people leadership, he is passionate about helping organisations create cultures where people feel valued, included, and empowered to contribute at their best.

Why This Episode Matters
As organisations navigate rapid change, evolving workforce expectations, and emerging technologies, leaders need to create workplaces where people feel connected, supported, and able to thrive. This episode provides practical insights for leaders, HR professionals, and business owners looking to build stronger cultures and more inclusive organisations.

Resources
Evan Bateup | LinkedIn
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New Zealand’s superannuation problem is something that constantly rears its head.
Whether it’s abolishing MPs’ gold-plated super scheme, if we should introduce means testing, or heighten the retirement age – one thing’s always clear... our status quo is untenable.
The annual cost of NZ Super has already risen from less than $20 billion in 2023 to $24.7b this financial year, and is forecast to pass $30b in 2030.
Meanwhile, the annual superbill for older migrants has hit a billion dollars – five years after Parliament tightened eligibility.
So, what are the real pressure points in the system and how politically realistic are any of the fixes?
Today on The Front Page, Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths is with us to unpack the numbers, the politics, and what changes might actually be on the table.
Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee
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Conversations about reintroducing maximum sustainable employment to the Reserve Bank's monetary policy mandate and inflation targeting could be back on the table, following recent comments from Winston Peters.
Peters had to let this issue go during the last round of coalition negotiations, but speculation indicates he's like to bring the issue up again the next time round.
Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says there would be very little, if any, differences to the current state of the OCR if these changes were implemented.
"The Reserve Bank is not dumb, they're not looking at the economy and going - well, if only we completely ignore the labour market. You can't ignore people in the economy and their jobs, so realistically - no , we wouldn't expect any real change."
LISTEN ABOVE
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91 petrol is set to stay below $3 a litre for the fourth week in a row, and that means the $50 weekly fuel payment for working families should be coming to an end.
The Government has always said any support would be timely, temporary and targeted — but with so much volatility in the Middle East, should it be extended?
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has said she’ll take advice to Cabinet next week about extending the payment.
But, there’s also the argument that this is all part of a bigger picture: New Zealand lagging behind other countries on EVs, solar and batteries.
Today on The Front Page, journalist and publisher of The Kākā, Bernard Hickey joins us to unpack whether the fuel support should continue, and what New Zealand risks if it keeps moving too slowly on electrification.
Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.