Dr Kevin Tham appointed first CISO at Australian fintech Rich Data Co

Dr Kevin Tham has been appointed as the first Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) by Rich Data Co (RDC), the Australian fintech and AI decisioning platform. Tham, a veteran in information security, will apply his two decades of experience gained at organisations such as Qantas, Deloitte, Westpac Group, and Accenture, to his new role at RDC.

The role will include managing RDC's cyber security risk and resilience capability. Tham will also be tasked with the implementation of the company's cyber security strategy and roadmap. His other responsibilities will include uplifting the Information Security Management System (ISMS) and generally improving the overall risk posture.

RDC works to provide banks with a means to make high-quality lending decisions efficiently and safely. Its new CISO, Dr Kevin Tham, has spent the majority of the last decade establishing high banking security standards at financial services companies. These companies include Westpac Group, Tyro Group, and the fintech startup Avenue Bank.

Tham was most recently the CISO at etika, the purpose-driven fintech, where he covered various aspects of cyber security and risk management. He is currently a member of the steering committee at CISO Tribe, a professional community led by CISO's. He has also served on the board of the information software and IT professional membership organisation ISACA's Sydney Chapter for nearly eight years.

CEO and co-founder of Rich Data Co, Ada Guan expressed her excitement about Dr Tham's appointment. She says, "We are at a critical time in our business where the next 6-12 months will see us hit new milestones and forge more partnerships with banks." She also praised Tham's expertise across banking security and interest in fintech security innovation and recognised his vital role in upholding RDC's commitment to information security.

In response, Dr Tham says, "It's an exciting time to join RDC during this growth stage. The team has done an excellent job creating a truly world-class AI decisioning platform, and security has been, and will continue to be, a focus. I am very happy to be part of the RDC team delivering this to the market."

Dr Tham's appointment arrives on the heels of RDC's successful effort to raise $28 million in a Series B round last November. His arrival also marks the first of many imminent hires to be made by the firm this year. RDC, founded in 2016 in Sydney, Australia, continues to work towards achieving its mission of increasing global access to inclusive, fair, and sustainable credit.