Australia’s fintech boom exposes communications talent gap

Australia’s fintech and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors are entering a period of accelerated growth. Industry analysts project the fintech market to be worth more than $11 billion by 2030, driven by new entrants, regulatory reform, and increasing demand for AI-powered financial services. Yet while capital and technology are flowing in, one key ingredient is in short supply: specialist communications talent.

The ability to explain, defend, and promote financial innovation is no longer a “soft” add-on to business. It is a strategic necessity. Complex regulation, ethical questions around AI, and the trust deficit in digital finance mean that public relations and corporate communications professionals are as critical as product managers or compliance officers.

The shortage of experienced communications leaders is already forcing companies to look overseas. One example is Shobnom Zarin Chetona, who has recently taken on a senior communications role in Sydney after building her career in Bangladesh and Singapore.

Chetona’s experience demonstrates how talent pipelines are shifting. At Bangladesh’s leading fintech company, she directed media strategies during its meteoric rise into a multi-billion-dollar player, helping position leadership as regional thought leaders in financial inclusion. In Singapore, she oversaw international campaigns for a fintech expanding into AI, securing coverage across Khaleej Times, Gulf News, MSN, and Outlook India.

Now in Sydney, she manages corporate communications for App AI Pty Ltd, a growing fintech-AI hybrid. Within weeks, she secured national coverage of major investment announcements and led campaigns around AI summits and product launches. Her work underscores the value of internationally trained professionals who can navigate regulatory nuance while elevating corporate reputation.

Abdullah Khan, Partner & Head of Advisory at IBM Consulting for Australia and New Zealand, says Chetona’s career path highlights how global expertise is directly relevant to Australian firms navigating rapid industry change. “Fintech and AI companies here face an environment of both opportunity and scrutiny,” Khan said. “Professionals like Chetona, who bring experience from high-growth markets abroad and adapt it to the Australian context, are vital in helping firms communicate credibly and scale responsibly.”

Australia has long recognised shortages in high-tech skills — engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity experts. But there has been less attention paid to the communications and reputation management gap. For fintechs and AI firms, the absence of senior PR talent can mean missed investment opportunities, weak regulator engagement, and a lack of public trust.

As Dr. Shahinul Sazzad Raka of Macquarie University puts it: “Australia’s fintech and AI sectors are highly competitive, but without strong communicators who understand both global markets and local regulation, companies will struggle to differentiate.”

The numbers bear this out. According to workforce data from the Department of Employment, demand for marketing and communications managers in financial services has grown at more than twice the pace of general management roles over the past five years. Yet the local talent pipeline is thin, with fewer professionals having cross-border experience in emerging markets.

Executives in the sector say the gap is increasingly material. “Public relations is critical in guiding how fintech companies engage with sensitive topics like regulation, data ethics, and AI,” says Sydney-based fintech entrepreneur Maruful Islam Jhalak. “Without seasoned communicators, firms risk being outpaced not just technologically, but reputationally.”

Australia prides itself on being a hub for fintech innovation, but if policy continues to focus solely on technical skills, the country risks a credibility deficit. Companies can build the smartest algorithms in the world, but without effective engagement with investors, regulators, and the public, those breakthroughs will fail to translate into trust and adoption.

The lesson is clear: communications is infrastructure. Just as governments invest in roads, grids, and digital connectivity, they must also ensure the human infrastructure of reputation management is in place. For fintech and AI, that means recognising that corporate communications professionals — often seen as peripheral — are in fact central to sustained growth.

Australia’s future as a fintech and AI leader depends not only on how fast it innovates, but on how well it explains itself.