Leadership and Governance Teams

Senior Leadership Team

Asantha Wijeyeratne

Asantha Wijeyeratne

Executive Director, CEO and Co-Founder

Asantha has over 25 years’ experience of unparalleled focus on helping small businesses navigate the difficult landscape of effective payroll. His formal background in accounting combined with his ‘people first’ attitude has seen him successfully build a number of businesses into market leadership positions.

Most notably, Asantha was the driving force behind the creation and growth of SmartPayroll (now Smartly) and SmartBooks which he grew to service close to 10,000 SMEs in NZ before he left in December 2013.

Asantha’s obsession is the micro-business sector with a tech and customer service focus. He loves seeing someone with determination and passion turn an idea into a business that supports them, their families and the wider community. He gets a lot of enjoyment from making tech work to help business owners succeed.

In recognition of his contribution to business and the community, he was awarded a Queens Service Medal (QSM) in the New Year’s honours list in 2013 and was a finalist in Ernst & Young’s 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Jaime Monaghan

Jaime Monaghan

Chief Financial Officer

With an extensive commercial background, Jaime brings incisive leadership to our financial and strategic planning. Jaime’s expertise in bringing business and finance together was honed in her previous roles at Trade Me and Kiwibank. A Scottish Accountant, Jaime is dedicated to ensuring the best possible stewardship of shareholders’ funds in the short, medium and long term. PaySauce is responsible for managing a high volume of funds on behalf of customers, with billions of dollars being transacted every year through PaySauce systems. Jaime’s financial acumen and excellent management is key to overseeing this.

Jessica McLean

Jessica McLean

Chief Product Officer

Jess started her career on the front line in payroll consulting and customer service, helping businesses navigate the complexity of employing people. She then moved into people and culture leadership, so she knows just how challenging payroll and employment compliance can be. That combination of service delivery and hands-on experience gives her a deep empathy for what small employers are up against. At PaySauce, she leads our product, customer experience, and customer acquisition teams, driven by a passion for making payroll more accessible for businesses that don't have the luxury of experts in their team.

Jacques Labuschagne

Jacques Labuschagne

Chief Technology Officer

Jacques is a seasoned expert in delivering technology solutions for a range of customers, including both bespoke solutions as well as building successful suites of core product and service offerings. With a career that started in software development and moved into team and project management, Jacques most recently spent several years as the CEO of a technology services business in the UK, then as the COO of the NZ based business in the same group before joining the PaySauce team in 2023. Using a blend of technical expertise, strategic thinking and disciplined planning and execution, he excels at managing technology teams to deliver successful solutions.

Board of Directors

Shelley Ruha

Shelley Ruha

Independent Director and Chair

Shelley joined the PaySauce board in February 2022, and brings a wealth of governance experience within fintech, large scale technology infrastructure, payments innovation, banking, wealth management, and venture capital including directorships with JB Were, The Icehouse and BNZ Agricapital.

Current governance roles include Chair of Tax Gift and NZ Rural Land Management, and directorships at Heartland Bank, Hobson Wealth and Partners Life.

She has also had an extensive executive career leading large, complex businesses in New Zealand, with revenues over $1bn and 1,200 employees; and in disciplines including Technology, Operations, Product, Property and Procurement.

Asantha Wijeyeratne

Asantha Wijeyeratne

Executive Director, CEO and Co-Founder

Asantha has over 25 years’ experience of unparalleled focus on helping small businesses navigate the difficult landscape of effective payroll. His formal background in accounting combined with his ‘people first’ attitude has seen him successfully build a number of businesses into market leadership positions.

Most notably, Asantha was the driving force behind the creation and growth of SmartPayroll (now Smartly) and SmartBooks which he grew to service close to 10,000 SMEs in NZ before he left in December 2013.

Asantha’s obsession is the micro-business sector with a tech and customer service focus. He loves seeing someone with determination and passion turn an idea into a business that supports them, their families and the wider community. He gets a lot of enjoyment from making tech work to help business owners succeed.

In recognition of his contribution to business and the community, he was awarded a Queens Service Medal (QSM) in the New Year’s honours list in 2013 and was a finalist in Ernst & Young’s 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Gavin Thompson

Gavin Thompson

Director

Gavin is a founder and a director of Catalyst IT, New Zealand’s largest open-source IT service provider. His background is in software development and delivery, and he has over 30 years’ experience in software systems in the manufacturing, engineering, financial, and government sectors. Gavin is also a director on the board of Catalyst Cloud, a company which grew from an infrastructure platform for the Catalyst business, into a provider of cloud services for Aotearoa.

Gavin is passionate about open source and open standards software and systems which allow a collaborative and effective approach to delivering secure, resilient and innovative solutions.

Mark Samlal

Mark Samlal

Independent Director

Mark Samlal has over 25 years' experience in growth leadership roles in Asia Pacific. Most recently Mark co-founded PayAsia in 2006 where he was Non-Executive Chairman, until being appointed as Executive Chairman and Managing Director of PayAsia in 2015.

In 2017, Mark was appointed to the Board and as Managing Director of PayGroup which listed on the ASX in May 2018. During this time, Mark strategically executed over five acquisitions before being acquired by Deel Inc by way of scheme of arrangement in November 2022 and delisted. Mark remains the CEO and Founder PayGroup. Mark was also a Director and General Manager of PayConnect Solutions that was acquired by ADP.

His previous senior roles include CEO at Vicplas International Ltd, a Singapore Stock Exchange listed company, as well as Executive Director of Omni Industries in Singapore. Throughout all experience mentioned, Mark was an invested shareholder.

Jim Sybertsma

Jim Sybertsma

Independent Director, Audit & Risk Committee Chair

Jim has over 25 years of experience in financial leadership positions including CFO roles for DB Group, NZ Dairy Foods, Fliway Group, and Hawkesby Management. During this time, Jim has been involved in audit, compliance and corporate finance activities across a range of industries and sizes from start-up to scale-up.

Jim is currently a Director for Provident Insurance Corporation Limited, Auto Drive Holdings and First Glass. He is also CFO of Hawkesby Management, a family office investment role managing multiple investments in early stage tech companies and listed equity portfolios.

About PaySauce Australia

PaySauce Australia is proudly built on strong New Zealand foundations, where the company began its journey in 2015. Now as an NZX-listed business, PaySauce helps thousands of employers simplify the way they pay and care for their people. Now that experience is coming across the Tasman. Our Australian operation is led by a highly experienced local team, including former Xero leaders Chris Ridd, Mel Shortland-Power, Meena Berry, and Anna Cochrane, who are passionate about supporting small and growing businesses. Reflecting our commitment to Australia, CEO Asantha Wijeyeratne has relocated to Melbourne to lead the launch and growth of PaySauce in Australia, ensuring we deliver the same innovation, integrity, and people-first spirit that’s made us a trusted name in New Zealand.

Australian Leadership Team

View Board of Directors

Asantha Wijeyeratne

Executive Director, CEO and Co-Founder

Asantha has over 25 years’ experience of unparalleled focus on helping small businesses navigate the difficult landscape of effective payroll. His formal background in accounting combined with his ‘people first’ attitude has seen him successfully build a number of businesses into market leadership positions.

Most notably, Asantha was the driving force behind the creation and growth of SmartPayroll (now Smartly) and SmartBooks which he grew to service close to 10,000 SMEs in NZ before he left in December 2013.

Asantha’s obsession is the micro-business sector with a tech and customer service focus. He loves seeing someone with determination and passion turn an idea into a business that supports them, their families and the wider community. He gets a lot of enjoyment from making tech work to help business owners succeed.

In recognition of his contribution to business and the community, he was awarded a Queens Service Medal (QSM) in the New Year’s honours list in 2013 and was a finalist in Ernst & Young’s 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Chris Ridd

Executive Director

Chris Ridd is an Executive Director at PaySauce, appointed in November 2025 to spearhead the company's expansion into the Australian market, initially targeting dairy farms and ultimately over 700,000 micro-businesses with its compliant, automated payroll platform. Previously, as Managing Director of Xero Australia from December 2010 to April 2016, he scaled the business from 7 staff and 4,500 customers to nearly 300 staff and 320,000 paying subscribers, establishing it as the leading cloud accounting software provider. With over 30 years in IT, including 15 years at Microsoft in senior executive roles, plus leadership at EventsAir, BoardPro, and as an Operating Partner at Macquarie Asset Management, Chris excels in strategy, revenue growth, alliances, and scaling SaaS ventures across sales, marketing, and operations.

Mel Shortland-Power

Head Of Sales & GTM Aus

Melanie Shortland (also known as Melanie Power) is the Head of Sales at PaySauce AU, where she drives direct and partner-led sales initiatives, contributes to marketing strategies, and oversees the establishment of the local office. Previously, she held senior roles at Xero, including Head of Partner Community - Global (November 2017 - June 2018) and Head of Bookkeeping - Xero Australia (January 2014 - April 2018), where she championed bookkeepers, built global communities, and advocated for small business advisors. With her extensive background as a media buyer, marketer, sales trainer, and bookkeeping expert, she leverages deep industry expertise to fuel PaySauce's expansion in the Australian small business payroll market.

Meena Berry

AU Partnerships Lead

Meena Berry serves as the AU Partnerships Lead at PaySauce, specializing in forging strategic alliances with bookkeepers, accountants, and key industry associations such as dairy, retail, and franchises. Deeply embedded in the Xero partner ecosystem, she leverages her extensive network to drive collaborative growth and seamless integrations for micro-business payroll solutions. A former Xero executive with roles including ANZ Senior Partnership Manager - Ecosystem & App Store (May 2023–May 2025) and Senior Account Manager (2011–2016), alongside experience at PwC and Ignition, Meena brings over 15 years of SaaS strategy, GTM expertise, and advisor transformation to empower PaySauce's Australian expansion.

Kelton Dunkley

Product Owner AU

Kelton Dunkley is the Product Owner for Australia at PaySauce, spearheading the adaptation and localization of the company's innovative payroll platform to meet Australian regulatory requirements, awards compliance, and micro-business needs. With expertise in product management for SaaS solutions in the payroll and HR tech space, he bridges technical development with market demands to ensure seamless launches, such as the ongoing Australian pilot in dairy farming ahead of the 2026 commercial rollout. Kelton's strategic focus on user-centric enhancements, including mobile timesheets, automated payments, and Xero integrations, positions PaySauce to capture significant share in Australia's 700,000+ micro-business market

Sarah McIntyre

Head of Marketing (AU)

Sarah McIntyre is the Head of Marketing at PaySauce AU, leading foundational growth efforts including messaging and branding development, the Australian website launch, CRM implementation with HubSpot, and the comprehensive event program. As a seasoned Fractional CMO and B2B SaaS advisor based in Greater Sydney, she specialises in architecting and executing high-impact growth strategies for SaaS founders and CEOs, with certifications in HubSpot, Growth Marketing (Reforge), and Brand Strategy (Section4). Her expertise in inbound marketing, partner ecosystems, and demand generation—honed through roles at BoardPro and founding Bright Inbound, empowers PaySauce to build trust, engage audiences, and scale effectively in the competitive payroll market.

Anna Cochrane

Business Development

Anna Cochrane is a Business Development Executive at PaySauce AU, where she executes high-impact direct sales initiatives to drive growth in the micro-business payroll sector. A key ex-Xero hire, she previously served as a Growth Advisor at Xero, cultivating long-term customer relationships, boosting sales, and enhancing brand visibility within the accounting software ecosystem. Renowned for her strong reputation and deep ties to the bookkeeping industry, spanning over a decade of passion for empowering business owners with technology, Anna excels in client success, sales strategy, and automated solutions