Chad Haighmark

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT CHAD HAIGHMARK

I’m a strategic leader with a deep understanding of the payments and fintech ecosystem. I want to leave things better than I found them and enjoy working on transformational projects that matter and deliver beneficial outcomes for the communities of Aotearoa.I’ve had more than 15 years’ experience leading teams, strategy creation and delivering industry initiatives to prepare people and industries for a rapidly changing future, fostering innovation and new directions.As Head of Strategy at Payments NZ, I play a key role in ensuring New Zealand’s payments industry is future fit and building its reputation as world-leading and inclusive.In 2015 I started Payments Direction, our strategic initiative that transformed the way the industry thinks about the future of payments as a collective. Working with industry, Payments Direction has been responsible for the ideation and incubation of several key initiatives like the API Centre, SBI 365, the Payments Modernisation Plan, and our payments for the next generation programme. Payments Direction also produces thought leadership white papers, environmental scans, and our consumer study.I have a deep understanding of emerging technologies and trends, how they fit into the current landscape and the role they can play. I’m very well-connected across finance, fintech and especially payments ecosystem and have knowledge of NZ financial regulation, data privacy and regulatory frameworks including compliance and risk.I’m so proud of our fantastic team who bring thought leadership to the industry through their deep payments expertise, facilitation skills, research, and project management capability. Before my time in payments I was a Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Justice, leading modernisation initiatives that contribute to a justice system that ran faster at reduced cost.I’m an optimistic leader, believing that no matter what the situation, we can always do better or turn it around. And when leading people, I give them a go, challenging, mentoring, and coaching them to success so they can develop others. After hours I am often heading to a beach or bush-walk, with my unruly Labrador in tow.