Fernandes will lead Pepperstone’s global engineering, architecture, security and data functions, reporting directly to Group CEO Tamas Szabo. He will be based at the company’s global headquarters in Melbourne.
The appointment comes as Pepperstone broadens its fintech ecosystem across areas including crypto, AI-native engineering and institutional-grade infrastructure. The company is investing more heavily in proprietary technology as it looks to provide clients with faster, more reliable and increasingly personalised trading services.
Fernandes brings more than 20 years of technology leadership experience across financial services, retail, media and enterprise software. Before joining Pepperstone, he served as Senior Vice President and Executive General Manager of Engineering at Xero, where he led teams responsible for areas including cloud platforms, customer identity and data. His previous leadership roles also include positions at Publicis Sapient, Coles Group, SEEK and Envato.
Pepperstone Group CEO Tamas Szabo said technology has become central to the company’s client experience as the business expands into new markets and digital assets. Fernandes will be responsible for strengthening Pepperstone’s technology foundation while supporting the company’s wider growth strategy.
The appointment also follows Pepperstone’s expansion into spot cryptocurrency trading in Australia, where the company launched a dedicated crypto exchange earlier in 2026 offering assets including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, USDC and USDT against the Australian dollar.
The move reflects Pepperstone’s broader strategy to evolve beyond its traditional FX and CFD operations by building a more diversified financial technology ecosystem supported by proprietary infrastructure.
