Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson is the Regional Managing Director of SICPA Australia, bringing more than two decades of experience to the global currency industry. In this role, he leads SICPA’s efforts in delivering high-security solutions designed to protect banknotes and high-value documents for central banks and state-owned security printers within Australasia.

Before relocating to Australia, Patrick served for over seven years as the Deputy Head of the Currency Management Department at the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). In this capacity, he oversaw the full lifecycle of South Africa’s currency—spanning banknote and coin production, storage and wholesale distribution. He led the development and issuance of two banknote series and a coin series. Patrick contributed to pioneering innovation efforts at the SARB through a feasibility study for a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and participated in Project Dunbar, a multi-central-bank initiative exploring cross-border CBDC settlement. As Chairperson of the Cash Industry Crisis Committee, Patrick oversaw the management of three national cash crises, ensuring continuity and resilience across South Africa’s cash supply chain.

Prior to his central banking tenure, Patrick held several senior leadership roles at Giesecke & Devrient Southern Africa, where he developed the Southern African market with cash processing and cash centre automation technologies.