- With three decades of expertise in strategic finance, mergers and acquisitions, and business transformation, David Samper will guide ClearBank’s international expansion strategy
- Joining from Newcastle Building Society, Samper also brings leadership experience from Sainsbury’s and NatWest Group
ClearBank, a leader in real-time clearing and embedded banking infrastructure, has announced the appointment of David Samper as its new Group Chief Financial Officer. In his role, Samper will guide the company’s financial strategy as it accelerates growth across Europe and other international markets.
Samper takes over the CFO position from Mark Fairless, who transitioned into the role of Group Chief Executive Officer in March. Fairless had previously served as Group CFO since 2023.
A seasoned executive with 30 years of experience in financial services across both private and public companies in the UK and overseas, as well as in retail and commercial banking, Samper has significant experience in M&A and strategic finance. He joins ClearBank from Newcastle Building Society, where he served as Group Chief Financial Officer. At Newcastle Building Society, he led a transformative growth strategy that doubled the Society’s assets and delivered the successful merger with Manchester Building Society. His earlier career included senior finance roles at Sainsbury’s Bank and Natwest Group.
Samper brings a strong background in strategic finance, capital markets, investor relations, regulatory engagement, and technology transformation, all critical to supporting ClearBank’s continued growth trajectory. His appointment follows ClearBank securing a Credit Institution Licence from the European Central Bank, under the supervision of De Nederlandsche Bank, a key milestone in the bank’s internationalisation strategy.
Launched in 2017, ClearBank has become one of the UK’s leading fintech and embedded banking infrastructure providers. It serves clients such as Revolut, Tide, Chip, TrueLayer, Coinbase, Raisin and Airwallex. The bank has ‘passported’ into 15 European markets in the past year, with group fee-based income having increased 63% to £53.3m in 2024, and the UK business posted pre-tax profits for the second year running*.
Mark Fairless, CEO of ClearBank, said: “I’m thrilled to have someone of David’s experience and calibre join the business. His deep expertise across finance, strategy and regulation, spanning both public and private sectors, brings tremendous strength to our leadership team. As we scale to unlock our clients’ potential, his contribution will be key to ClearBank’s next phase of international growth”.
David Samper, CFO at ClearBank, said: “ClearBank’s reputation for technological innovation, best-in-class regulatory compliance and a strong growth strategy makes it one of the most exciting financial services businesses to be a part of. I’m delighted to be joining at such a pivotal time and look forward to supporting the next phase of growth in the UK and abroad.”
