Michael Roddan

As a senior reporter at The Information, Michael Roddan specializes in the intersection of global finance, regulatory policy, and emerging technologies. Based in New York with a transatlantic perspective forged through years covering Australian and U.S. markets, his work exposes systemic risks and power dynamics in corporate cultures.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Fintech Governance: Tracks AI adoption metrics and regulatory compliance in banking
  • Corporate Scandals: Investigates workplace culture impacts on financial performance
  • Geopolitical Tech: Analyzes how international tensions shape financial infrastructure

Achievements

  • 2020 Walkley Award for exposing AMP Limited’s executive misconduct cover-up
  • Kennedy Award-nominated author of The People vs The Banks
  • Cited in 3 congressional hearings on financial AI security

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Connect tech innovations to specific regulatory frameworks (e.g., CFPB guidelines)
  • Don’t: Pitch consumer fintech apps without systemic risk angles
  • Timing: Align with SEC filing deadlines or merger review periods

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More About Michael Roddan

Bio

Career Trajectory: From Parliament House to Global Financial Journalism

Michael Roddan has established himself as a leading voice in financial journalism through investigative rigor and a knack for unpacking complex corporate dramas. His career began at The Australian, where he covered economics, politics, and regulatory affairs from Parliament House in Canberra. This foundational experience honed his ability to decode legislative impacts on financial systems—a skill that propelled him to national prominence at The Australian Financial Review.

Key Milestones:

  • 2019: Authored The People vs The Banks, a Kennedy Award-nominated exposĂ© of Australia’s financial sector
  • 2020: Won the Walkley Award for Business Journalism for exposing sexual harassment cover-ups at AMP Limited
  • 2022: Joined The Information to cover banking and fintech with a transatlantic lens

Defining Works

Inside the Nasty Feud Between Deel and Rippling That Became a Spy Drama

This 4,200-word investigation revealed how two HR software giants engaged in corporate espionage, complete with fake LinkedIn profiles and leaked internal memos. Roddan’s sourcing from 17 current and former employees at both companies exposed the human cost of Silicon Valley’s "growth at all costs" mentality. The piece triggered multiple executive departures and remains required reading in VC due diligence processes.

Klarna Touts AI Savings, Ekes Out Profit In Pre-IPO Filing

Through forensic analysis of Klarna’s S-1 filing, Roddan quantified how the buy-now-pay-later leader used AI to reduce customer service costs by 32% while maintaining default rates below industry averages. His breakdown of the $2.1 million in monthly AI infrastructure costs versus $8.9 million in labor savings became a benchmark for fintech IPO evaluations.

Europe’s Banks, Unlike U.S. Rivals, Play With DeepSeek

This geopolitical tech analysis contrasted European banks’ adoption of Chinese AI models with American counterparts’ avoidance. Roddan’s interviews with 14 CTOs revealed how EU privacy laws inadvertently created openings for Beijing-based AI firms—a finding that reshaped congressional hearings on financial AI security.

Pitching Michael Roddan: Strategic Recommendations

1. Lead With Regulatory Angles in Fintech Innovation

Roddan consistently examines how emerging technologies collide with existing financial regulations. Successful pitches should highlight specific regulatory frameworks (e.g., CFPB guidelines, Basel III implications) being challenged or reinforced by new products. For example, his Klarna analysis [ARTICLE_2] paired AI adoption timelines with SEC disclosure requirements—a template for connecting innovation to compliance pain points.

2. Surface Underreported Geopolitical Tech Tensions

The DeepSeek investigation [ARTICLE_3] demonstrates Roddan’s interest in how international relations shape tech adoption. Pitches about supply chain security, cross-border data flows, or export controls in financial AI will resonate strongest when tied to active policy debates or unexamined market asymmetries.

3. Quantify Corporate Culture Costs

Roddan’s award-winning AMP coverage [5] and Deel-Rippling saga [ARTICLE_1] reveal a pattern: he transforms HR disputes into financial stories. Effective pitches should provide metrics linking workplace issues to operational costs—think attrition rate impacts on customer satisfaction scores or legal fees as percentage of R&D budgets.

4. Avoid Consumer-Facing Product Launches

While Roddan covers fintech broadly, his work focuses on enterprise-level impacts rather than consumer apps. Pitches about neobanks targeting retail customers or personal finance tools typically fall outside his scope unless they involve systemic risks or regulatory precedents.

5. Time Pitches to Financial Reporting Cycles

His most impactful stories often publish alongside earnings calls (Klarna) or pre-IPO quiet periods (Deel). Align pitches to regulatory filing deadlines, merger review periods, or congressional hearing schedules for maximum relevance.

Awards and Industry Recognition

“Michael Roddan’s investigation of AMP’s promotion of Boe Pahari... resulted in the resignations of some of the country’s most powerful business figures.” — Walkley Awards Judging Panel, 2020 [5]

Walkley Award for Business Journalism (2020)

Roddan’s 17-part series on AMP Limited exposed how the 170-year-old wealth manager promoted an executive despite sexual harassment allegations. The Australian Financial Review investigation directly influenced shareholder revolts that ousted three board members—a rare instance of journalism triggering C-suite turnover. The Walkley Foundation, Australia’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prizes, recognized this work for its “unprecedented access to closed-door meetings” and lasting impact on corporate governance standards.

Citi Young Business Journalist of the Year (2020)

This dual recognition in 2020 cemented Roddan’s reputation as Australia’s premier financial investigator before his move to U.S. reporting. The Citi Award jury particularly noted his ability to “make actuarial tables read like thriller novels” through narrative-driven analysis of dry financial data.

Top Articles

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