Career

André Freilinger is a senior finance and transformation executive with more than 30 years of international experience at the intersection of finance, technology and business transformation. His career spans financial services, technology, retail, wholesale distribution and consumer products, with extensive experience partnering with C-suite leaders to improve financial and operational performance, strengthen governance and make better investment decisions.

André spent almost 18 years with Westpac, most recently as CFO, Technology, where he led finance across a $1.5 billion technology cost base. He implemented IT service costing, developed the concept of the “five drivers of technology cost” and established greater transparency around the factors driving technology expenditure. He also served as a finance partner to the Group CIO and Group Executive for Data, Digital & AI, helping connect technology investment with broader business outcomes.

His earlier career included senior finance and general management positions with Stora Enso and Wine International (WIV) Australia, alongside early technology experience with the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency. Across these roles, André has worked across large-scale technology investments, enterprise transformation, project finance, operating models, productivity programs and corporate governance, bringing an international perspective across Australia, Europe and the United States.

Role at Factor

André brings a distinctive perspective to Factor’s Expert Advisor Network through his ability to bridge the gap between technology leaders and the financial executives responsible for understanding, challenging and funding technology investment. His experience provides a practical lens on one of the increasingly important executive questions: not simply how much an organisation is spending on technology, but what is driving that spend and whether it is generating measurable value.

His advisory perspective is particularly relevant as organisations navigate rising technology costs alongside increased investment in cybersecurity, digitalisation, automation, AI and fraud prevention. André can help executives examine the movement of costs between technology and other areas of the business, establish greater cost transparency and connect investment decisions with measurable business outcomes.

André is also well suited to executive roundtables and advisory discussions where finance, technology and transformation leaders need to challenge conventional thinking and work through complex investment decisions. His experience across C-suite partnering, board reporting, investment governance and large-scale transformation allows him to bring a commercially grounded perspective to discussions around technology value and business performance.

Key roles André works with include: CFOs, CIOs, CTOs, Chief Digital & AI Officers, COOs, Chief Transformation Officers, Technology & Finance Leaders, and Board & Executive Leaders.

Previous Roles

As CFO, Technology at Westpac, André was responsible for finance across a $1.5 billion technology cost base. He introduced IT service costing and a framework around the key drivers of technology cost, improving transparency, forecasting and decision-making. He also contributed to the development of cost and benefit metrics for AI investments and partnered closely with senior technology and digital executives.

Prior to becoming CFO, André held a series of senior leadership positions across Westpac’s Technology, Operations and Finance functions. As Head of Transformation (PMO), he was responsible for governance of more than 80 Technology and Cyber Security projects and a $250 million investment portfolio. Earlier, as Group Head of Enterprise Project Finance, he led a 100+ person finance function supporting the Group’s $1.5 billion investment portfolio and drove improvements across project finance policy, processes, tools and capability.

At Stora Enso, André held senior finance and general management positions across Australia, Europe and the United States. As Director Finance & HR for Corporate IT, he reported to the Group CIO and helped re-engineer IT cost accounting and service-based costing across a corporate technology function with a $300 million annual budget. He later became CEO and Managing Director of Stora Enso Timber Australia, leading a $100 million import and distribution business.

Earlier in his career, André served as CFO and Director Finance & Administration of Wine International (WIV) Australia, where his remit covered finance, supply chain, procurement, HR, IT and operations. He began his career in technology and finance, including as a Software Developer within the Department of Finance at the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.

Media Presence and Industry Contributions

André brings a practical executive perspective to the increasingly complex relationship between technology expenditure and business value. His experience demonstrates how organisations can move beyond simply tracking technology spend to understanding the underlying cost drivers and the business outcomes that investment is intended to deliver.

His experience is particularly relevant to conversations around AI investment, where organisations are under pressure to invest while demonstrating a credible return. André has direct experience developing cost and benefit metrics associated with AI investments and can contribute to discussions around how finance and technology leaders should assess, prioritise and measure emerging technology investments.

With experience spanning finance, technology, transformation and general management, André is able to bring different executive perspectives into the same conversation. His international career across financial services, technology, manufacturing, wholesale and consumer businesses provides a broad commercial lens on investment, productivity, governance and organisational performance.

Leadership Philosophy

André’s leadership approach centres on building a bridge between technology and the broader business. He believes technology investment needs to be understood not only as a cost line, but in terms of the business problem it is solving, the costs it is shifting and the value it is ultimately creating.

His approach combines financial discipline with a practical understanding of technology and transformation. Rather than treating cost reduction and investment as opposing priorities, André focuses on understanding the drivers behind expenditure and ensuring decisions are connected to measurable business outcomes.

As a people leader, André places importance on honesty, integrity and developing high-performing teams. His experience leading large finance functions and partnering with senior executives has shaped a collaborative leadership style focused on clarity, accountability and better decision-making.