Pepperstone has appointed former Xero engineering executive Nigel Fernandes as its new Chief Technology Officer, effective 1 October 2026, as the Melbourne-based fintech accelerates a push to own more of its technology and broaden its crypto offering.
Fernandes will report to Group CEO Tamas Szabo and lead global engineering, architecture, security and data from Pepperstone’s headquarters in Melbourne. He joins from Xero, where he served as SVP and Executive General Manager of Engineering, overseeing cloud platforms, customer identity and data. Before Xero, he held senior leadership roles at Publicis Sapient, Coles Group, SEEK and Envato.
The appointment is part of Pepperstone’s strategy to evolve from a CFD broker into a wider fintech ecosystem spanning crypto, AI-native engineering and institutional-grade infrastructure. The company serves clients in more than 160 countries and currently provides access to forex, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs and digital asset markets.
“I’m excited to be joining Pepperstone at such a pivotal time for the business,” Fernandes said. “My focus will be building on the quality global brand that traders have trusted for years, investing in the technology we own to scale an AI-native engineering foundation that gives clients faster, more reliable access to the tools they need.”
Group CEO Tamas Szabo said the company is expanding into a “genuine fintech ecosystem that opens access to crypto and new markets,” while investing in proprietary technology for a more personalised client experience. He cited Fernandes’s track record building high-performing engineering teams at leading technology companies.
