Incode Expands into Australia and New Zealand with Two Leadership Hires

Incode has appointed Martin Lazarevic as General Manager for Australia and New Zealand and Ashley Hoey as Technical Director for Asia Pacific. For fintech firms operating in the region, these strategic hires signal a significant push into the APAC market by a major identity verification player, focusing on local compliance and technical integration.

What was announced

Martin Lazarevic joins as General Manager for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), bringing nearly two decades of experience in the identity sector. He previously served as the General Manager of National Crime Check (NCC), an Australian government-accredited provider of police checking services. In his new role, Lazarevic is tasked with growing Incode’s presence in the ANZ region, managing industry relationships, and ensuring the company’s product suite meets specific regional regulatory requirements.

Ashley Hoey takes on the role of Technical Director for Asia Pacific (APAC). Hoey has a background in scaling technology startups, notably as the founder of RapidID.com, an identity verification firm that was acquired by XREF.com in 2019. His recent experience includes senior roles at the blockchain services company STADIO. At Incode, Hoey will focus on driving engagement for the platform, building a team of pre-sales engineers, and managing database and government integration requirements over the next 12 months.

These appointments follow the launch of Incode Workflows, a feature designed to help businesses customize user experiences based on risk levels. The company reports that it has recently doubled its global headcount and is expanding its partnership ecosystem to support revenue growth across highly regulated sectors including fintech, telecommunications, and government. The expansion is part of a broader strategy to accelerate global growth through a dedicated partner network and localized technical leadership.

"This is a transformative period at Incode as we invest in and expand our operations in Australia and New Zealand,"

Dean Hickman-Smith, Chief Revenue Officer of Incode

The companies involved

Incode is an identity verification and authentication platform that provides automated, no-code solutions for global enterprises. The company positions itself as a next-generation leader in digital identity, focusing on high-scale operations within heavily regulated industries. By utilizing fully automated processes, the platform aims to streamline the onboarding and authentication journey while maintaining high security standards.

The firm operates in a competitive global market where the demand for seamless digital onboarding is rising. Incode’s strategy involves building a robust partner network to accelerate its international reach. The company has focused on expanding its footprint beyond its initial markets, targeting regions with high growth potential in the "web-economy" and fintech sectors. With a focus on "mapping together the identity of humankind," the organization seeks to provide a unified identity layer that works across various digital touchpoints and geographies. The company has been active in establishing strategic partnerships to bolster its fraud prevention and compliance capabilities.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has followed Incode’s expansion and partnership strategy closely over several years. In 2023, the publication covered how the Mama Money and Incode Partnership Revolutionizes Customer Verification for Cross-Border Payments, highlighting the platform's utility in the remittance space. Prior to this, FF News reported that Incode Announces Strategic Partnership with Sardine, a move aimed at bolstering fraud prevention and compliance. The company’s core value proposition was established early on, as seen in 2019 when INCODE DELIVERS SEAMLESS AND SECURE CONSUMER EXPERIENCES WITH NEXT-GENERATION DIGITAL IDENTITY PLATFORM was first detailed by this outlet.

What this means

The appointment of local veterans like Lazarevic and Hoey suggests that the identity verification market in APAC is entering a more mature, localized phase. It is no longer enough for global IDV providers to offer a generic solution; they must now navigate the specific government-accredited landscapes of Australia and the diverse technical requirements of the wider APAC region. This move puts pressure on local incumbents who have previously relied on their regional expertise as a moat. The industry now faces a critical question: can fully automated, global platforms truly replicate the nuanced compliance depth of local providers while maintaining the speed and scale that modern fintechs demand?