Former Afterpay, Uber exec lands at the TCA

Former Afterpay and Uber senior leader, Damian Kassabgi has taken on the CEO role at the Tech Council of Australia (TCA).

Newly appointed TCA CEO, Damian Kassabgi

Kassabgi takes over from Kate Pounder who resigned from the role in January this year, citing family health matters and choosing to limit travel commitments.

Ryan Black, TCA head of policy has been acting CEO for the past five months while the search for Pounder’s replacement was underway. 

It's expected Kassabgi will officially begin in the role in mid-June.

Kassabgi joins Australia's peak body for the tech sector having previously held senior leadership roles at Afterpay, Uber and Google plus experience in the public space including the Treasury.  

The TCA said via LinkedIn Kassabgi’s “deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing the tech sector, combined with his public policy expertise, make him ideally suited to lead the Tech Council and drive the Australian tech sector forward.”

“Damian's passion for creating opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds also clearly aligns with our mission to foster an inclusive and dynamic tech ecosystem,” the statement said. 

TCA chair, Robyn Denholm said, Kassabgi “has valuable experience in our sector and is committed to helping us reach our shared goal of 1.2 million tech workers by 2030.

Denholm added Black “has always been an asset to the TCA” and has a “keen policy eye and ability to safely steer the TCA over the last five months has been deeply appreciated by the board.”

Kassabgi said, “The tech industry has given me an amazing career and I hope to be a role model for people looking to enter the industry.”

“I grew up in a household where my parents spoke English as a second language, and I attended public schools. I hope to show others that a person from low-socioeconomic or migrant backgrounds can create a meaningful career in technology,” Kassabgi said.