We are Wave

Why we do what we do

At Wave      , we believe small businesses are the heart of our communities, and championing them is worth fighting for.

We will create a future where small business owners manage their finances fearlessly, and more aspiring entrepreneurs have the confidence to live their dreams. To get there, we'll be the simplest, all-in-one money management solution small business owners can’t live without.

We believe small businesses are
the heart of our communities.

Our mission is to create a future where current and aspiring
small business owners feel empowered to manage their
finances fearlessly, so more of them can start, survive, and
thrive as self-employed pros. To make that happen, we will
be the simplest, money management solution
small business owners can’t live without.

We believe small businesses are the heart of our communities.

Our mission is to create a future where current and aspiring small business owners feel empowered to manage their finances fearlessly, so more of them can start, survive, and thrive as self-employed pros. To make that happen, we will be the simplest, all-in-one financial management solution small business owners can’t live without.

The values that guide us:

  1. 1
    Believe in small business owners
  2. 2
    Reimagine the possible, together
  3. 3
    Do fewer things, simply and beautifully
  4. 4
    Care deeply and challenge directly
  5. 5
    Achieve extraordinary results

The values that guide us:

  1. 1
    Believe in small business owners
  2. 2
    Reimagine the possible, together
  3. 3
    Do fewer things, simply and beautifully
  4. 4
    Care deeply and challenge directly
  5. 5
    Achieve extraordinary results

Wave through the years

  • 2010
    • In a shared workspace with a team of eight, co-founders Kirk Simpson and James Lochrie launch Wave Accounting
  • 2011
    • Wave reaches 100,000 customers
    • Makes Deloitte's 100 Companies to Watch list
    • Moves into the historic Wrigley Factory
  • 2012
    • Launches payroll and payments products in North America
    • Surpasses 500,000 customers
  • 2014
    • Launches free invoicing
  • 2018
    • Launches Wave Advisors
  • 2019
    • Grows to more than 250 employees
    • Makes Best Workplaces in six categories
    • Makes Deloitte North American Fast 500
    • Acquires fintech startup, Every
    • Gets acquired by H&R Block
  • 2020
    • Launches free banking product, Wave Money
    • Receives more nominations and podium finishes at the 2020 Canadian HR Awards than any other company
    • Receives more nominations and podium finishes at the 2020 Canadian HR Awards than any other company
  • 2022
    • Co-founder & CEO, Kirk Simpson, announces his successor
    • Zahir Khoja becomes Wave’s CEO
  • 2023
    • Releases new and improved receipts feature
    • Partners with the Shorty Awards
    • Launches the $120,000 Elevate Creatives Fund to fuel creative entrepreneurship
  • 2024
    • Moves to a subscription model and introduces the free Starter Plan and paid Pro Plan
    • By June, reaches $3,000,000,000 in invoice-generated payments
    • Serves 10,000th Wave Advisors customer
    • Pavilion names Zahir Khoja one of 50 CEOs to Watch
  • Our Future
    • Continuously innovating simple money management solutions for small business owners

Executive Team

Zahir Khoja

Chief Executive Officer

Zahir is our Chief Executive Officer. He comes to Wave with decades of executive experience, most recently as General Manager for Afterpay North America, and previously as Executive Vice President at Mastercard. He joined Mastercard in 2012 as Chief Executive Officer for Mobile Payment Solutions (MPS) where he was responsible for deploying mobile solutions in Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Philippines, India and Turkey.

Zahir has always had a passion for small business and enabling financial access for all. This led him to a four-year stint as President and CEO of M-Paisa Afghanistan, bringing banking and financial education to underserved communities.

Speaking of passion, Zahir’s mad love for Canada’s own Vancouver Canucks follows him everywhere (including into his pocket⁠—check out his phone case if you get the chance!). These days he calls California home, and lives there with his wife and two daughters.

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Michaella Gallina

Chief Financial Officer

Michaella is our Chief Financial Officer. She has more than 14 years of capital markets and corporate finance experience. She has spearheaded H&R Block’s Investor Relations, ESG, & Productivity teams for the last three years and previously held various leadership and value creation roles, including Chief of Staff, through two other successful company exits. She was also an analyst in buy-side investment management and worked in investment banking.

Michaella received her MS in Finance, summa cum laude, from University of Denver. She also earned her BSBA in Finance from the University of Denver where she graduated in three years and was honored as a Coca-Cola Scholar and a Boettcher Scholar. Michaella sits on several nonprofit boards including SLC6A1 Connect, an organization that advances scientific research to ultimately result in a cure for the rare disease. She is a national champion equestrian (her lifelong passion) and loves hiking, biking, and being in the great outdoors. She resides in Littleton, Colorado.

David Axler

Chief Strategy Officer

David Axler is the Chief Strategy Officer, focusing on formulating, communicating, and fulfilling Wave’s initiatives and future goals. With over five years at Wave, David brings an enthusiastic leadership style and unyielding service to our customers. Prior to Wave, David was a GM and Chief of Staff at a B2B technology company, Influitive, and was previously a management consultant with Deloitte. A graduate of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, he has a wealth of experience knowledge in business strategy and growth.

Outside of work, David can be found in various arenas across the city, including coaching his kids’ hockey teams and, when he’s lucky enough to find the time, paddling a canoe across an open lake or struggling his way around a golf course.

Sandra Wrycraft

Chief People Officer

Sandra Wrycraft is the Chief People Officer, focusing on fostering a high-performance culture driven by a commercial mindset and a customer-centric approach. Sandra comes to Wave following a decade of management consulting. Her expertise lies in partnering with high-growth companies and driving business transformation by aligning business and people strategies.

She has a passion for inspiring potential in others and in building trust-based high-performance teams. Sandra’s experience in executive search, coaching, and leadership development is all focused on optimizing business performance through empowering people and teams.

A certified executive coach and board director, Sandra is highly entrepreneurial and has also held senior people leadership roles in tech, retail, and healthcare. She is a proud mom and aspiring chef who enjoys all things cottage life, giving back to her community, and spending time with family and friends.

Leadership Team

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Tina Goyal

VP, Engineering

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Tina Goyal

VP, Engineering

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Lawrence Levinson

VP, Revenue Optimization

Leadership team member headshot

Lawrence Levinson

VP, Revenue Optimization

Leadership team member headshot

Swap Mehta

VP, Strategy Development & Analytics

Leadership team member headshot

Swap Mehta

VP, Strategy Development & Analytics

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Andrew Ratcliff

VP, Financial Planning & Analysis

Leadership team member headshot

Andrew Ratcliff

VP, Financial Planning & Analysis

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Ayaz Somani

VP of Data and AI

Leadership team member headshot

Ayaz Somani

VP of Data and AI

Leadership team member headshot

Lydia Bowser

Senior Director, People & Culture

Leadership team member headshot

Lydia Bowser

Senior Director, People & Culture

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Maggie Lau

Senior Director, Finance

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Maggie Lau

Senior Director, Finance

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Joseph Pierri

Senior Director, Platform Engineering

Leadership team member headshot

Joseph Pierri

Senior Director, Platform Engineering

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Reza Rahimi

Senior Director, Financial Capabilities & Payroll

Leadership team member headshot

Reza Rahimi

Senior Director, Financial Capabilities & Payroll

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Julianne Smola

Senior Director, Brand & Communications

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Julianne Smola

Senior Director, Brand & Communications

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Adnan Glavas

Director, Strategic Partnerships and Procurement

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Adnan Glavas

Director, Strategic Partnerships and Procurement

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Mila Suthakar

Director, Customer Channels Excellence

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Mila Suthakar

Director, Customer Channels Excellence

Leadership team member headshot

Takisha Williams

Director, Compliance

Leadership team member headshot

Takisha Williams

Director, Compliance

Wave in the news

What's happening at Wave

We are thrilled to announce three wins at the 2020 Canadian HR Awards:

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Wave is honored to announce that for the fourth year in a row, it's been named one of the 2020 Best Workplaces ™ by Great Places to Work®.

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Wave is honored to announce that for the second year in a row, it's been named one of the 2019 Best Workplaces ™ for Women by Great Places to Work®.

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