At Airwallex, we’re guided by 12 operating principles that describe who we are as an organisation and how we work together as a team. These principles aren’t just words on a page; they are the cornerstone of our unique culture, shaping how we interact with each other, our customers, and our partners. When we all embrace these principles, it creates a sense of unity and drive that fuels our success, paving the way for a strong and sustainable global business.
Let’s take a closer look at Airwallex’s 12 operating principles and how they shape our path to success.
The inspiration behind our operating principles
Airwallex is more than a company; we’re a global team of over 1,500 of the brightest and most innovative people in tech spread across 20+ offices worldwide. With ambitious growth plans for the future, Jack Zhang, our co-founder and CEO, recognised the need to expand our company values to a common set of operating principles to guide us forward. “As the company continues to scale,” Jack explains, “we need to codify a set of behaviours that inspires everyone in Airwallex to build a long term and durable business.”
“As the company continues to scale, we need to codify a set of behaviours that inspires everyone in Airwallex to build a long term and durable business.”
Jack Zhang Co-founder and CEO of Airwallex
To make this vision a reality, our global leadership team came together to craft a single framework that shapes our culture, behaviours, and decision-making processes. Pranav Sood, Executive General Manager, EMEA, explains, “These principles aim to improve the clarity and consistency of decision making around the business, help hiring managers choose the right people, and ultimately to accelerate the velocity of execution around the world.”
Check out the video below to hear firsthand from our leadership team about the inspiration behind these principles and why they’re so crucial for our success.
Watch Jack Zhang, co-founder and CEO, and the global leadership team discuss the development and importance of Airwallex’s new operating principles.
Who we are: delving into the core traits that unite us
Despite having globally distributed teams, there’s a lot that we have in common when it comes to the kind of people we hire and who really succeed here at Airwallex. Richard Yan, VP, Global Head of People & Talent, reflects on our hiring and talent development practices, and the common characteristics of people who excel at Airwallex. “Through our journey, what we came across was six recurring traits or qualities that we look for and see evident in our team members,” Richard said.
These core traits form the first six of Airwallex’s operating principles and capture who we are as a company. They are:
- Visionary
- Curious
- Reliable
- Determined
- Resilient
- Optimistic
Click here to explore each trait further, or watch the video below to hear our global leadership team dive into the first six principles that really capture who we are as an organisation.
Watch Richard Yan, VP of Global People & Talent, and the global leadership team discuss the Operating Principles that describe who we are as a organisation.
How we work together: unlocking the everyday behaviours that drive our growth
The remaining six operating principles lay out how we work and behave at Airwallex, no matter your team, role or length of tenure. “As our company grows in complexity, scale and pace, and as we onboard so many new people into the Airwallex family,” explains Jon Stona, VP of Global Marketing, “it’s critical that we make sure there’s a common understanding and framework that we can all operate from.”
These principles are designed to guide decision-making at all levels of the organisation, helping employees make choices that are in line with our long-term objectives and setting the stage for all of us to grow together. The six principles that describe how we work together are:
- Prioritise our customers
- Move fast with conviction
- Champion craftsmanship
- Take ownership
- Never settle
- Optimise for long-term value
Click here to explore each behaviour further, or watch the video below to hear our global leadership team discuss how these operating principles drive our organisation forward.
Watch Jon Stona, VP of Global Marketing, and our global leadership team discuss how we work together as a organisation to achieve growth.
Airwallex’s operating principles are the driving force behind our mission to build global financial infrastructure and applications to empower businesses to operate anywhere, anytime. They are the company values that shape our culture, inform our decisions, and empower us to innovate and grow on a daily basis.
If you’re inspired by our operating principles and the insights from our global leadership team, explore career opportunities at Airwallex and join us!
