Client story
Five key trends shaping the future of payments and global money movement
Join the discussion
The future of Australia’s payment infrastructure
Australia’s public sector is seeing a rapid shift towards digital payments, as citizens increasingly expect simple, secure and intuitive ways to transact.
For public-sector leaders, this creates both an opportunity and a challenge: how to build and scale digital services, simplify online payments, and deliver better citizen experiences, while working within legacy environments and evolving regulatory expectations.
As one of the country’s largest payment ecosystems, the public sector plays a critical role in shaping how digital transactions are delivered at scale. Thoughtworks, in partnership with TG Public Affairs, is convening a closed-door roundtable to explore:
- Simplifying digital payments: Making it easier for citizens to pay for services, from fines and rates to permits and licences
- Building modern digital services: Designing end-to-end experiences where payments are seamlessly embedded into broader service journeys
- Scalable platforms and integration: Enabling flexible, reliable services that can evolve with changing needs across agencies
- Operational efficiency and automation: Streamlining workflows to reduce manual effort and improve speed to service
- Trust, security and compliance: Balancing ease of use with strong protections in an increasingly real-time environment
Date: Monday, 4 May 2026
Time: 12:00pm – 2:30pm AEST
Location: Salon Privé, O Bar and Dining
Level 47, Australia Square, 264 George Street, Sydney
Format: Closed-Door Roundtable (Chatham House Rule)
This invitation-only session is strictly limited to senior executive leaders to ensure a meaningful, peer-level exchange.
At Thoughtworks, we see the transition to real-time payments as more than a technical migration; it is a fundamental shift in how the state maintains trust with its citizens.
Having worked with global regulators and Australian agencies to deliver platforms like the NPP, we recognize that the current pace of disruption requires a response that transcends individual agency silos. We are convening this session to move beyond the theory and facilitate a pragmatic, peer-to-peer exchange on navigating the next wave of payments innovation to ensure Australia’s infrastructure remains secure, fair, and fit for the future.
Moderation: Alexander Dalgleish | Principal, TG Public Affairs
As a specialist in Australian inter-agency policy and regulatory frameworks, Alexander will moderate the discussion. The session will be held under the Chatham House Rule to facilitate a high-trust, candid exchange between policy, prudential, and delivery peers.
Alexander Dalgleish (Moderator)
Principal, TG Public AffairsAlexander has over a decade of experience at the highest levels of Federal Government, including serving as Chief of Staff to the Minister for Defence and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Minister for Home Affairs. A former solicitor at MinterEllison, he specializes in navigating the complex policy, budgetary, and decision-making architecture of the Australian public sector.
Alla Gancz (Speaker)
Global Payments Vertical Leader, ThoughtworksAs a global payments vertical leader at Thoughtworks, Alla helps organizations navigate the shift to real-time payments and modern transaction platforms. With more than 25 years of experience, including leading the UK Payments Consulting practice at EY, she works at the intersection of regulation, innovation and large-scale delivery. She has contributed to the UK’s Future of Payments Review and the launch of the National Payments Vision, and brings experience helping regulators, payment utilities and governments modernize real-time payments infrastructure, including NPP.
Thoughtworks is a leading global technology consultancy that integrates strategy, design and software engineering to enable enterprises and technology disruptors across the globe to thrive as modern digital businesses.
Founded in 1993, we’ve grown from a small team in Chicago to a leading technology consultancy of more than 11,000 Thoughtworkers across 51 offices in 18 countries. Our cross-functional teams of strategists, developers, data engineers and designers bring more than 30 years of global experience to every partnership.
TG Public Affairs is a major public affairs consultancy with offices in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
We ensure our clients' priorities are well understood within Australia’s parliaments and bureaucracies. Established in 1998, the firm has built a strong reputation by providing sound strategic and policy advice, designing effective advocacy programs and by utilising its extensive political and senior bureaucratic networks.