Australian payments processor Fat Zebra has appointed Leena Hakkinen as Chief Operating Officer and Kees Kwakernaak as Chief Commercial Officer.
Hakkinen joined the company in June 2025. She will oversee operational risk, customer operations, business continuity and organisational effectiveness as Australia’s payments industry prepares for a Payments Service Provider licensing regime.
“With PSP licensing on the horizon, it’s imperative for fintech companies to treat governance as core infrastructure,”
Hakkinen said.
Kwakernaak joined Fat Zebra in February 2024 and previously served as its Chief Operating Officer.
He will lead Fat Zebra’s commercial strategy across Australia and New Zealand.
“My focus is on the relationships that compound over time. That’s our banking and card scheme partners, and the Account-to-Account and Open Banking businesses where we can give merchants real, competitive alternatives to global players in the space.
Fat Zebra has the platform and the local footprint. I’m looking forward to turning that into deeper partnerships and long-term value,”
Kees Kwakernaak said.
Fat Zebra processes payments for companies including MYOB, Zip and RACQ. The company said it handles more than 500 million transactions annually.
The appointments follow Fat Zebra’s three acquisitions since 2024, comprising Adatree, Pin Payments and SecurePay.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Australia, based on image by ilygraphic via Magnific
