Airwallex has formed its Global Economic Advisory Council, a standing body of senior advisors intended to shape the company’s long-term strategy and deepen its engagement with international policymakers. The move arrives as the firm continues its rapid ascent, now sitting at the intersection of cross-border commerce, AI-native infrastructure, and global regulation for over 250,000 businesses worldwide.
The Council is comprised of distinguished leaders from the highest levels of government and finance, signaling Airwallex’s intent to play a central role in the conversations defining the future of global trade.
A Council of Heavyweights
The founding members bring a formidable depth of experience across key global markets:
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Senator Roy Blunt: A former U.S. Senator from Missouri and former Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. His tenure included a seat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, providing deep insights into global security and policy.
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Stephen Cutler: The former General Counsel of JPMorgan Chase and former Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. Cutler brings unparalleled expertise in navigating the complex regulatory frameworks of the world’s most demanding financial markets.
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Morgan Ortagus: A former Deputy Presidential Envoy to the Middle East and U.S. State Department Spokesperson. With a background as a U.S. Treasury Intelligence Analyst, Ortagus offers a unique view on geopolitical stability and international treasury operations.
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The Hon. Josh Frydenberg: The former Treasurer of Australia (2018–2022) and current Chair of Goldman Sachs Australia. Frydenberg was a central figure in Australia’s economic policy during the pandemic and has been a vocal advocate for digital transformation.
Bridging the AI and Policy Gap
A primary focus for the Council will be sharing on-the-ground insights into how businesses of all sizes—from startups in Melbourne to enterprises in Mexico City—are adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to fuel growth. Airwallex aims to provide policymakers with a “ground-level” view of the global economy, leveraging its proprietary data to illustrate how AI-native tools are practically impacting economic productivity.
“The convergence of new payment rails, digital infrastructure, and AI-native tools is reshaping what is possible for small and mid-size businesses faster than at any point in our history,” said Jack Zhang, co-founder and CEO of Airwallex. “A priority for the council will be to share unique insights and reports into how businesses… are actually growing and adopting AI, giving policymakers a ground-level view of the global economy that few platforms can offer.”
Institutional Integrity at Scale
Airwallex has spent the past decade building a regulated “backbone” for global finance, securing more than 85 licenses across some of the world’s most stringent jurisdictions. This infrastructure allows the firm to offer financial services—once reserved for Fortune 500 companies—to a much broader segment of the market.
The establishment of the Council reflects a broader trend among high-growth fintechs to professionalize their governance and strategic foresight as they scale. For Airwallex, which recently moved to a dual-headquarter model across Singapore and San Francisco, the council serves as a strategic bridge between its innovative technology and the traditional institutions that govern global capital.
As the transitional period for major regulations like MiCA closes and central banks explore tokenized settlement systems, Airwallex’s new advisory body positions the firm to not only react to policy changes but to actively contribute to the framework of a borderless, real-time economy.
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