Headquarters:

Lv20, 135 King Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

Year founded:

2010

Number of employees:

Phone:

+61 2 8244 3099

Email:

contact@xref.com

Website:

xref.com

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/xref

Lee-Martin Seymour

Founder and CEO

Sharon Blesson

Chief Technology Officer

Melanie Seymour

HR and Payroll Director

Leadership

Lee-Martin Seymour is the visionary and driving force behind the company’s product strategy and brand, committed to delivering exceptional client satisfaction through targeted solutions for the evolving employment sector. As the original designer of the pioneering automated reference checking platform, Seymour has continuously led its product development and strategic evolution. Under his leadership, the platform has expanded into a comprehensive ‘employer intelligence platform,’ incorporating innovative tools for pulse surveys, exit interviews and automated talent pooling.

Founder and CEO

Lee-Martin Seymour

Recognised for her ability to bridge the gap between IT and business, Sharon Blesson has a rich history of program management in both delivery and operational environments. She has developed excellent leadership skills and expertise in managing diverse teams while providing motivation and strategic vision. Prior to joining Xref, Blesson spent over a year as director of the project management office at the Ivy College in Sydney. Earlier, she was a major corporate client manager at Sqware Peg and also an IT&T project manager for recruitment specialist Hays.

Chief Technology Officer

Sharon Blesson

With over a decade of experience leading group HR and payroll, Melanie Seymour has a proven track record of balancing strategic HR initiatives with meticulous payroll management. An advocate for a people-first approach, Seymour is the driving force behind People Experience at Xref. She oversees key areas including onboarding, facilities management, pay and benefits, employee events, performance management and engagement strategies, ensuring that the teams’ needs and experiences are prioritised at every stage of their employment journey. By implementing HR policies that promote respect, equality and inclusivity, Seymour fosters an environment where all employees feel valued and empowered to thrive.

HR and Payroll Director

Melanie Seymour

Tobi Ajibola

Chief Revenue Officer

With over a decade of experience in pricing strategy and revenue management across diverse industries, Tobi Ajibola leverages data to develop and execute on commercial strategies that benefit both the customer and the business. Ajibola is a member and actuary with the Society of Actuaries and is active in their Entrepreneurial & Innovation chapter.

Chief Revenue Officer

Tobi Ajibola

Dr Louise Parkes has more than two decades of experience in consulting and research, helping organisations use feedback to improve workplace culture, leadership, staff engagement and wellbeing and customer experience across all sectors. Parkes has a PhD in Organisational Psychology (UNSW), is a registered psychologist and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Chief Customer Officer

Dr Louise Parkes

Kath Landon

Chief Financial Officer

Kathy Pallasis

Human Resources Manager

Nicholas Avramides

Investment Lending Manager Team Leader

David Sexton

Director Business Services

Kath Landon has over 25 years of executive finance experience, including nine years at ELMO Software where she most recently served as chief accounting officer. She possesses deep domain expertise in managing finance teams, FP&A, enterprise system rollouts, treasury management, sales operations, as well as M&A and integration.

Chief Financial Officer

Kath Landon

Kathy Pallasis is human resources manager at Frontier Software and leads HR strategy and operations from Melbourne. Her responsibilities include policy development, employee relations, employee records and internal communications. Pallasis works with senior leaders and teams across the organisation to support workforce planning and workplace operations. Her experience includes enterprise software, payroll systems and governance. A member of the Australian HR Institute, Pallasis contributes to continuous improvement through practical policy and operational leadership.

Human Resources Manager

Kathy Pallasis

As an Investment Lending Manager Team Leader, Nick is responsible for leading, coaching and developing our team of Investment Lending Managers. He works directly with brokers to strengthen technical capability, lending strategy, compliance and overall performance, while driving consistent service standards and exceptional client outcomes across the organisation. Through regular coaching, performance reviews, and deal strategy workshopping, Nick plays a key role in building broker capability, embedding best practice and fostering a high-performing culture focused on delivering outstanding client outcomes.

Investment Lending Manager Team Leader

Nicholas Avramides

As Director of Business Services, David oversees the financial, operational and commercial aspects of the School. In this role, he contributes to shaping and implementing strategic initiatives, supports business sustainability and enables the next phase of campus development, including the 10-year Master Plan and Strategic Plan (2026–2028). He is an accomplished executive leader with over 25 years of experience at C-Suite and Board level spanning diverse sectors including education, not-for-profit, disability, sport and professional services. He has extensive experience shaping and executing strategic plans, driving income growth and diversification, master planning and major capital projects, stakeholder engagement, leading high-performing teams and managing complex budgets.

Director Business Services

David Sexton

Read on

IB Top Brokerages

Award Winner

Sponsor

XREF

SPECIAL REPORT

Home

Bio

Medal

Strata cover

Brokers’ Pick

Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

Turnaround time – claims

BDM support

Broker communication, training and development

Overall service level

BDM support

Adam Basaldella

Manager – Claims

Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager. As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.

Product Manager

Claire Watson

Commercial Manager

Stephen McMillan

“Having close connections with our parents, staff and community, is integral to a rich learning environment. When we work together, we can achieve amazing things”

Karen Yager, Hills Grammar

“I believe that students learn in a supportive environment with passionate and inspiring teachers and staff. We surround our students with positive creative and inspiring people, enthusiastic about their own learning and keen to immerse students in the spirit of life-long learning across the whole community”

Karen Yager, Hills Grammar

Xref builds trust, one hire at a time The company’s placement in HRD Service Provider Awards (Readers’ Choice) for 2026 centres on a broader strategic shift of moving from a transactional reference check software tool to a complete hire-to-retire talent intelligence platform. Founder and CEO Lee-Martin Seymour has paired bold global growth targets with an accessible, celebratory culture, building the platform well beyond its original reference-checking core over the past few years. From ‘reference on request’ to verified data on arrival The clearest sign of Xref’s strategic shift is Xref.me, a portable, candidate-owned verified digital resume that lets applicants collect and carry verified references, identity checks and employment histories themselves. Instead of employers requesting references reactively, candidates can now arrive with a verified record, moving hiring faster and reducing friction. The same platform runs on employee engagement software such as real-time pulse and onboarding surveys, giving HR teams visibility into sentiment long before it turns into attrition. Turning around the problem of turnover Xref’s products target the costly cycle of employee turnover such as slow, inaccurate hiring, blind spots around why top performers leave, and missed chances to re-engage past talent. Its response is structured around the framework: Hire Better, Retain and Rehire. Automated reference and identity checks cut early-stage attrition, employee engagement surveys surface pain points before they escalate, and standardised exit data builds a searchable pool of alumni, creating a lower-cost pipeline for future high-fit rehiring rather than starting recruitment from zero each time. Closing the feedback loop across the employee journey, from onboarding through to exit, is what Xref links to longer tenure and stronger loyalty. Clients report faster time-to-hire, thanks to the pre-verified digital profiles that shrink recruitment cycles from days to hours, alongside measurable gains in employee net promoter scores and overall productivity. Beyond the platform itself, clients get dedicated support built around their outcomes, the same standard of engagement Xref applies to its own new hires, who join a welcoming, transparent workplace where milestones are celebrated together. Innovation built on foresight and feedback Xref’s innovation approach mixes proactive, in-house development with market feedback. Xref.me itself was conceived internally to solve emerging problems such as CV fraud and AI-generated applications, while feature updates and survey frameworks are shaped continuously by input from enterprise clients, candidates and Xref’s own people and culture team. This drive comes from Xref’s stated mission to change the way the world hires. The company points to three core values behind that mission: Driven by ambition, A big heart and Positively charged, which it says show up in a high-energy but genuinely supportive workplace. Winning this recognition has sharpened rather than shifted that direction. Xref’s focus now turns to expanding Xref.me into new markets and deepening its wider talent intelligence ecosystem, pairing verified candidate data with the same pulse and onboarding tools that already support engagement across its client base, all in service of helping organisations everywhere tackle turnover through more meaningful, data-informed employee experiences.

Learning designed for educators The centrepiece of Hills Grammar’s approach to staff development is its Professional Learning Model, led by director of professional learning Dr. Chris Furner. Grounded in adult learning pedagogies, aligned with the school’s strategic intent and staff profile and standards, the model deliberately moves away from compliance-driven professional development towards something more meaningful. This is delivered as learning that is authentic, research-based and tailored to where each educator is in their career journey. Supporting this is the Learning Centre Staff Program, which creates structured opportunities for staff to share practice, reflect on their work and learn from one another. Mentoring, leadership development and action research opportunities are embedded throughout, making professional growth a continuous and collegial practice rather than a periodic obligation. It is a model that reflects Hills Grammar’s commitment to investing in the people responsible for delivering its educational vision. Future-forward leadership The school’s commitment to its team extends to how Hills Grammar approaches leadership. Working in partnership with the governing council, school leaders maintain a shared focus on developing what the school describes as a ‘future fit’ graduate and the workforce equipped to teach them. Innovation is encouraged, and the culture is one where academic ambition and professional development are seen as inseparable. Wellbeing in a remarkable setting Staff also benefit from complimentary wellbeing programs, a genuine commitment to work-life balance and access to an Employee Assistance Program. Additionally, for educators who value a workplace where the physical environment itself is part of the daily experience, Hills Grammar’s picturesque campus offers a setting that is as restorative as it is inspiring. There is also a proactive approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), such that employees are informed and educated through integrated professional learning frameworks. Hills Grammar is proud to be actively shaping bold thinkers, and in turn empowering the people who teach them.

Medal

Recruitment

Benefits

Compensation

Culture

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Innovation

Reputation

Sustainable programs

Overall

Dr Louise Parkes

Chief Customer Officer

Medal

Recruitment Solutions Software

Benefits

Compensation

Culture

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Innovation

Reputation

Sustainable programs

Overall