Know your Xinjas:
Priyanka Awadhwal
I am the Executive Manager, Risk and Compliance at Xinja. My job is to ensure that Xinja is protected against the various internal and external risks it faces, and that the company is compliant with all applicable regulations.
Pri joins us just are we are rolling out new features and products, and loves the fact that she couldn’t have joined Xinja at a more exciting time!
Tell us what you do at Xinja
I am the Executive Manager, Risk and Compliance at Xinja. My job is to ensure that Xinja is protected against the various internal and external risks it faces, and that the company is compliant with all applicable regulations.
What is your Xinja origin story?
I’ve had an interest in the FinTech sector for sometime and was keeping an eye on various new players in the industry. Xinja was one that stood out as it was looking to be Australia’s first ‘neobank’. I was following Xinja on LinkedIn and saw the advertised position. It sounded like a great opportunity, and the idea of working for Xinja was very appealing. I was invited to interview, had a couple of chats with our Director of Enterprise and Risk Management (David Nichols) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Eric Wilson) and was offered the job – so here I am!
Everyday at Xinja is different – this sounds cliche, but it’s true!
What does a typical day look like for you?
We start off with a team huddle in the morning which is a 15-minute pow-wow about individual priorities and key dependencies, and then we get stuck into our day.
In my short time here, no two days have been the same. I’ve been involved in delivering internal risk and compliance training, conducting policy reviews, providing risk advice to the team, working with external vendors and attending industry forums, just to name a few things.
I work closely with Xinja’s CRO (Michele Davenport), who is awesome to work for!
What are you most proud of working with Xinja?
The ethos and philosophy of Xinja truly resonate with me. Our purpose is to be customer centric and make sure we are always doing the right thing by our customers. As a risk professional this is music to my ears. I’m so excited to be working in an organisation where doing the right thing is our central focus and ingrained in our culture.
What have you learned in your time working at Xinja?
During my time at Xinja I’ve learnt that startup life is challenging but fun. There is always plenty to learn and do and there is never a dull moment!
What are you most looking forward to in the coming months?
I’m looking forward to us obtaining our Authorised Deposit Taking Institution (ADI) approval from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and being able to call ourselves a Bank!
What technology are you most excited about?
The Internet of Things! I love the idea of various everyday objects being interconnected and the ability to control everything centrally with the click of a button (or should I say, touch screen!), through voice command or other means (like movement etc.).
If you weren’t at Xinja, what would you be doing?
Probably in my previous role, dreaming of working for Xinja someday!
List 3 words to describe Xinja?
Friendly, Reliable and Honest
What is your Spirit Animal?
(Kung Fu) Panda! Like Po, I believe perseverance is the key to achieving your dreams and goals, and I like dumplings! Oh, and I love sleep!
Weekend hobby:
I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends, checking out new restaurants and getting out and about in Sydney.
Unexpected fact:
I worked as a swimming instructor for children at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) during my uni days.
Check out other members of the xinja team here.