The Bolt Group Welcomes Former New Zealand Prime Minister, Rt Hon Sir John Key as Chair of its Advisory Board
Sydney, March 31st, 2025 – Bolt Group is proud to announce that Rt Hon Sir John Key, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, has joined its Advisory Board as Chair. Sir John brings a wealth of experience in global leadership, banking, and governance, further strengthening Bolt’s strategic vision as it continues its rapid growth in financial services and technology globally.
With an esteemed career spanning politics, banking, and corporate governance, Sir John served as New Zealand’s 38th Prime Minister from 2008 to 2016. Sir John’s achievements include assisting New Zealand out of the global financial crisis and creating key economic reforms. Under Sir John’s leadership, New Zealand emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, with a strong fiscal position and risk assessment rating.
Beyond politics, Sir John has an extensive background in international finance, including senior leadership roles at Merrill Lynch, where he held Global Head of FX and European Head of Derivatives roles. His expertise in global markets, risk management, and financial strategy will be invaluable in guiding Bolt’s next phase of growth.
Sir John also holds board positions at Palo Alto Networks (US), Oritain Global (NZ), and Fortera (USA), alongside advisory roles with major global companies such as BP, BHP, Comcast, and Zespri. From 2017, Sir John was the Chair of ANZ New Zealand and a board member of ANZ Banking Group (Australia), only recently retiring from the roles in 2024.
Bolt Founder, Jarod Feng, expressed his enthusiasm with the appointment of Sir John as the Chair of the Advisory board. Jarod stated, “We are honoured to welcome Sir John. His leadership experience, strategic insight, and global network will be instrumental as we scale our operations and continue to drive innovation in fintech. His appointment reflects our commitment to bringing world-class, recognisable expertise to the Bolt business."
Sir John Key shared, "Bolt is at the forefront of financial technology innovation, and I’m thrilled to be part of its journey. The company’s vision for transforming financial services aligns with my passion for fostering growth in high-potential businesses."
Bolt Group looks forward to working with Sir John and his vast expertise as it continues to expand its impact in financial services for businesses and consumers alike.
About Bolt Group
The Bolt group includes Bano Pty Ltd and Build Baas Pty Ltd, offering a range of financial products, technology and services. These include a financial super app for retail customers, business banking for SMEs and corporates, and customisable "as a service" solutions for institutional clients.
