Airwallex hires senior vice president for global communications

Rachael Horwitz has joined Airwallex as senior vice president of global communications and public affairs.

Horwitz will report to Jack Zhang, co-founder and CEO, and lead the global communications team as Airwallex expands in the US, naming San Francisco its second global headquarters, and is eyeing a potential IPO, according to Axios.

She was chief marketing officer at Haun Ventures and served as the first vice president of communications at Coinbase.

Horwitz told Axios she will focus on clarifying Airwallex’s product and compliance story for diverse audiences, from CFOs to regulators to developers.

Airwallex, founded in Australia in 2015 and based in Singapore, provides cross-border payments and is valued at about US$8 billion, according to Axios.

🔗 Source: Axios

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

A crisis-tested hire for a company facing heightened regulatory scrutiny

Airwallex hired a communications lead with experience in the heavily scrutinized crypto sector, a choice shaped by regulatory pressure rather than a routine growth hire.
Horwitz will explain the company’s “product and compliance story” as Airwallex expands in the US, makes San Francisco its second global headquarters, and weighs a potential IPO 1.
The appointment signals a need to reduce reputational risk while building credibility with regulators ahead of any listing, though Airwallex says it has no set timeline to go public 1.

The race to become a trusted, intelligent utility for global business

Airwallex’s plan tracks a wider fintech pattern where international growth brings complex, multi-jurisdiction regulatory demands 2.
Alongside compliance work, Airwallex is pushing AI as its next growth driver, with a goal of supporting a “fully autonomous finance department” through specialized AI agents 3.
Co-founder and CEO Jack Zhang said the AI agents line should reach a “few $100 million” before an IPO becomes a serious option, which frames competition in business-to-business (B2B) finance around payments plus an intelligence layer that automates financial workflows 4.