The High Flyers Podcast
Gillian Findlay
Episode
#205

Gillian Findlay: Former COO, Immutable & Safety Culture

1 hr 25 min
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify

Episode description

Gill Findlay is the former COO of SafetyCulture and Immutable — two of most influential tech companies globally to originate from Australia. She scaled SafetyCulture from <$1M to $30M ARR, helped professionalise Immutable during the crypto boom, and built a reputation as the go-to operator for high-growth startups.

In this rare public interview, Gill shares the lessons, turning points, and leadership frameworks behind one of tech’s most quietly impactful careers.‍

Show notes

Published 14th May, 2025.

Gill Findlay is the former COO of SafetyCulture and Immutable — two of most iconic tech companies globally that originated from Australia. From scaling SafetyCulture from <$1M to $30M ARR, to bringing structure and maturity to Immutable during the peak of the crypto boom, Gill has quietly built one of the most impressive operating careers in tech.

This is a rare public interview with Gill.

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Hosted by Vidit Agarwal, Founder of Curiosity Center and The High Flyers Podcast.

It’s now time to explore your curiosity.

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In this rare, long-form conversation — her first deep public interview, Gill reflects on:

  • Growing up in Glasgow, watching her sister battle leukaemia, and why her strongest identity isn’t “COO” or “mum”
  • Leaving behind a corporate lifestyle, Qantas Platinum status and a six-figure salary to earn $60,000 at Car Next Door and what that year taught her about ego, control and starting again
  • Scaling SafetyCulture from <$1M to $30M ARR as COO, building global teams from Townsville to Sydney and why she eventually left
  • Taking on her first CEO role at Vamp, turning a loss-making business into one generating cash during COVID, and learning the less glamorous side of fundraising
  • Joining Immutable during the crypto bull run — and why despite the hype, she focused on bringing real structure, rigour and top-tier executives to the company
  • Her approach to hiring: from topgrading interviews, choosing her own references, and backchanneling every candidate to how she tells if someone’s a winner or a risk
  • The truth about Chief of Staff roles: what they are, what they’re not, why they shouldn’t be writing policies and how she’s built pipelines of ex-bankers and consultants to thrive in the role
  • How to make founder–COO partnerships work, what to do when someone isn’t performing, and what she’s still figuring out for the next chapter of her life

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Timestamps

About us

The High Flyers Podcast is a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies—redefining what it means to be a high flyer. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. A flagship product of the Curiosity Center, it has been featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW, offering raw, relatable insights from childhood to career, helping listeners become 1% better every day.

Some of the notable guests on the show include: Anil Sabharwal (He built/led Google Photos,
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CEO), Jack Zhang (Airwallex CEO and Co-Founder), Craig Tiley (Tennis Australia CEO), Elena Verna (Head of Growth at Lovable) and more.

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