"As Koala's consumer base around the world continues to grow, our online offering along with our digital products must continue to simultaneously develop and thrive" said Koala CEO Mitch Taylor.

"Emma's plethora of skills across cloud management, web systems and extensive leadership experience makes her an exciting addition to our team. We value her advocacy for women in technology and admire the wealth of knowledge she brings to the company with over 20 years' experience."

Pudney joins Koala from Rackspace, where she worked as APAC regional CTO.

She previously worked for Virtual Ark as executive vice president of product strategy, and at Hostworks, most recently as program manager.

Pudney studied IT&T engineering at the University of Adelaide.

"Koala is a fast-growing business and I look forward to expanding our online offerings and accelerating innovation in the business with technology," she said.

"I perform at my best when my work is linked to a positive impact on society and the planet, so I am thrilled to be joining the Koala team who places sustainability at the core of all business practices."