Kate Hyndman

About Me

“I’ve spent my career on both sides of technology: building it, and now helping boards get the most from it. I was one of the first engineers on the team that built FNZ, and an early investor. It’s now a global wealth platform administering over US$2.5 trillion. After moving from writing code to Group CTO, I spent nine years on its Asia Pacific boards, chairing the Risk & Compliance Committee and serving on the Audit Committee. Alongside those board roles I ran a founder-owned payments business as Managing Director and led a technology turnaround at a global SaaS company serving regulated pharmaceutical markets. From there I moved fully into governance. As a Chair and director I’ve worked through acquisitions, a spin-out, Chair and CEO succession, and capital raises. I’ve built enough systems to know where they’re vulnerable, so at the board table I tend to be the one asking about what isn’t in the papers. I’m as interested in the customer, the people and the commercials as I am in the technology. I’ll raise the hard question early, and back the decision once the board has made it. Today I chair Surely and sit on the boards of Manawanui, Optimal Workshop, Eight Wire, Cogo and ImpactLab - all focused on the people their technology serves. I’m always open to conversations with ambitious, purpose-led organisations using technology to improve people’s lives, from their financial wellbeing to their health. Outside work, you’ll find me walking trails, skiing or spending time with family.”