Zato did not optimise compliance. Zato rebuilt it.

Why Zato?

The name Zato is inspired by Zatoichi, the legendary blind swordsman from Japanese folklore, who moved with unmatched skill, intuition, and grace.

Like Zatoichi, our platform operates with unseen intelligence, cutting through complexity to deliver clean, accurate outcomes with remarkable efficiency.

Native Agentic Engine

Zato is not a bolt-on AI tool, it is AI from the ground up. Powered by Ziffy - our proprietary agent swarm intelligence - Zato coordinates highly specialised AI agents across every stage of your accounting firm's compliance job. One platform, built to think, not just process.

We mean business

Zato is founded by accounting experts who founded and run one of the world's largest accounting solutions group. Our team knows how compliance works in practice and takes our experience from 20 years of operating in the space and completing over 1 million ledgers to ensure Zato is everything you need, and more.

Expert founders

20

Years of compliance experience.

1M+

Ledgers of domain intelligence.

Our values

Precision

Engineered to perfection.

Velocity

Build faster.

Trust

Owning the outcome.

Elevation

The pursuit of better.

Unity

Humans and AI aligned.

A global team

Born in New Zealand, operating globally. Zato is a team of 60+ experts with a dedicated AI research team and deep expertise in accounting, compliance, technology, finance, implementation and support.

Leadership Team

Saurav J Bansal

Saurav J Bansal

Chief Executive Officer

Saurav J Bansal

Chief Executive Officer

Saurav is a global entrepreneur, investor, and enterprise growth executive with extensive experience scaling technology organisations across international markets. As Group CEO of Zato, Saurav leads company strategy and go-to-market execution as Zato establishes itself as the category-defining agentic engine for accounting firms. A globally recognised speaker and strategic advisor, Saurav also serves as Executive Director of BansCap, a single-family office, and Chair of GAIT Global, a Singapore-based climate asset management group. Saurav holds a Master of Business Information Systems and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Sydney.
Dr Srinivas Kishan Anapu

Dr Srinivas Kishan Anapu

Executive Director, AI and Innovation

Dr Srinivas Kishan Anapu

Executive Director, AI and Innovation

Dr Kishan is a senior technology executive, mathematician, and AI leader with over 30 years of experience across artificial intelligence, enterprise systems, and digital transformation. As Executive Director of AI & Innovation at Zato, Dr Kishan leads the development of Zato's agentic AI architecture and overall technology strategy. He has held senior executive roles at Mahindra Satyam and Wipro, managing large-scale delivery portfolios and leading enterprise transformation programmes across global organisations. Dr Kishan holds dual PhDs in Mathematics and Computer Science, with published research in applied AI, and is widely regarded as a mentor to senior technology leaders and enterprise architects worldwide.
Viv Brownrigg

Viv Brownrigg

Executive Director, Sales & Marketing

Viv Brownrigg

Executive Director, Sales & Marketing

Viv is a Chartered Accountant and a household name among New Zealand accounting firms, with 25 years of public practice experience and a fellowship from the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants awarded in 2011. Viv founded Business Fitness NZ Ltd, a compliance workpaper business she built and sold to Wolters Kluwer subsidiary CCH New Zealand. She later co-founded The Gap, an advisory platform for accountants, serving as Director and Head of Marketing and Partnerships for over a decade. As Director of Sales & Marketing at Zato, Viv leads the platform's rollout across New Zealand, driving revenue growth and shaping product strategy.
Greg Rathbun

Greg Rathbun

Executive Director, Commercial & Strategy

Greg Rathbun

Executive Director, Commercial & Strategy

Greg is a former Chartered Accountant and highly respected accounting industry leader with over 40 years of experience across public practice, financial stewardship, and strategic outsourcing. Greg spent nearly two decades as a director and equity partner at a large Auckland firm before co-founding Connect Outsourcing, New Zealand's largest provider of outsourced accounting services. As CCO of Zato, Greg brings deep industry relationships and an authoritative understanding of how accounting firms operate, playing a central role in Zato's commercial strategy as the platform scales across the profession. Greg holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Auckland.
Srikanth Vavilla

Srikanth Vavilla

Chief Technology Officer

Srikanth Vavilla

Chief Technology Officer

Srikanth is a technology leader with 10 years of experience across AI, cybersecurity, digital forensics, and enterprise IT. As CTO of Zato, he leads the design and engineering of the platform’s intelligent automation architecture for the accounting industry. A former cybersecurity consultant and digital forensics trainer for law enforcement, Srikanth has led high-profile investigations into cybercrime, fraud, and network breaches. He has developed advanced systems for metadata extraction, OSINT, and penetration testing, and has trained over 3,000 professionals. His work blends deep technical rigour with a passion for transforming complex digital ecosystems.
Derek Syme

Derek Syme

Non-Executive Director

Derek Syme

Non-Executive Director

Derek is a seasoned financial leader with 30 plus years in global banking, including nearly three decades driving institutional growth at Citibank. As CEO and Managing Director, he was instrumental in cementing Citibank’s role as a key international partner to the New Zealand Government. Now an angel investor and strategic advisor to early-stage ventures, Derek brings sharp insight into business strategy. Derek's other Director appointments include Aqua Stack Limited and American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Finance from Lincoln University and brings unparalleled financial expertise to Zato.
Russell Stanners

Russell Stanners

Non-Executive Director

Russell Stanners

Non-Executive Director

Russell is a seasoned executive and board director with over 25 years’ leadership experience in the technology and telecommunications sectors across Australia and New Zealand. CEO of Vodafone New Zealand for 14 years, he transformed the company from a mobile operator into a digital services leader, expanding into broadband, TV, and converged offerings for over two million customers. Russell’s other Director appointments include Vocus Group Limited and 2 Degrees Mobile Limited. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland and brings extensive technology insight to the Zato board.
Rob Stone

Rob Stone

Senior Advisor

Rob Stone

Senior Advisor

Rob is a senior growth and operations executive with over 20 years of experience across accounting, fintech, capital markets, and AI. As a Strategic Advisor to Zato, Rob supports market expansion, partner strategy, operational scale, and enterprise positioning. Rob began his career in insolvency at Ferrier Hodgson before moving into audit and tax at Ernst & Young, later serving as Associate Director at Ord Minnett Corporate Finance leading IPO and capital raising transactions. He then spent nine years at Xero, progressing to Regional COO, Asia & Australia, where he helped scale the partner ecosystem, and accelerate cloud adoption across the region.
Craig Hudson

Craig Hudson

Senior Advisor

Craig Hudson

Senior Advisor

Craig is a senior commercial and growth executive with over 20 years in technology, export, and enterprise organisations. Craig supports Zato’s strategic growth, bringing deep expertise in scaling partner ecosystems and driving high-performance cultures. Before joining Zato, Craig served as Managing Director for New Zealand at Xero, where he led national business performance and championed cloud adoption. He later served as General Manager at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, supporting the growth of New Zealand’s largest exporters. Craig began his career as a professional rugby player before transitioning into senior commercial leadership.