ClearCourse Partnership Announces Board and Senior Management Appointments

November 12, 2018

ClearCourse Partnership LLP, a new partnership of innovative technology companies providing membership software and services to groups, organisations and businesses, today announced the launch of its platform and the hiring of two senior executives, Gerry Gualtieri as Chief Executive Officer and Joshua Rowe as Head of Mergers & Acquisitions. The company also has appointed Stephen Wolff as NonExecutive Director. ClearCourse has received capital backing from Aquiline Capital Partners, a New York and London-based private equity firm investing in financial services and technology.

ClearCourse operates as a holding company with a mission to acquire primarily UK-based group and event management software companies and drive increased growth and profitability through more efficient payments, capital investment and operational support. The platform prioritises retention of existing leadership teams and is focused on creating an environment for talented entrepreneurs and their businesses to thrive.

Gerry Gualtieri, ClearCourse’s Chief Executive Officer, is an accomplished C-level fintech executive, with over 25 years of experience leading and growing businesses in the sector. Mr. Gualtieri recently served as Senior Managing Director and executive management team member at Eze Software Group. Prior to joining Eze via acquisition, Mr. Gualtieri was the Chief Executive Officer of Tradar, a provider of hedge fund portfolio management software, as well as the Chief Operating Officer of Fidessa LatentZero, a provider of front office technology to asset managers.

“Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of leading and building many companies in the fintech and software space. I’m excited to have this opportunity to create a new platform focused on the UK software market that will bring together best-in-class membership management and payments solutions,” said Mr. Gualtieri.

I’m excited to have this opportunity to create a new platform focused on the UK software market that will bring together best-in-class membership management and payments solutions.

Gerry Gualtieri – CEO

Joshua Rowe, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions for ClearCourse, has spent 10 years working as the head of mergers & acquisitions for a variety of organisations in Europe including Callcredit Information Group (now known as TransUnion UK), IHSMarkit, KPMG UK, and Capgemini.

“My goal at ClearCourse is to seek out and bring together market-leading companies where we see an opportunity to further optimise their operations and drive value,” said Mr. Rowe. “We look forward to bringing these companies onto our platform and helping them to grow and evolve.”

Stephen Wolff, currently an Executive in Residence at Aquiline Capital Partners, will join the ClearCourse board as Non-Executive Director. Mr. Wolff most recently served as the Head of Corporate Strategy and a member of the executive management team of Markit Group, a financial information and technology company. Prior to Markit, Mr. Wolff was the Head of Strategic Investments at Deutsche Bank.

“ClearCourse has the right leadership team in place with Gerry and Josh, and I look forward to leveraging my experience developing and implementing growth strategies in financial technology to help them build ClearCourse and its family of companies,” Mr. Wolff said.

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FinTech Software and Payments veteran Simon Black joins ClearCourse board

December 11, 2024

11 December 2024, London, UK: ClearCourse, a leading provider of industry-specific software and payments for UK SMEs, is pleased to announce the appointment of FinTech, Software and Payments veteran Simon Black as Non-Executive Director. Simon has a track record of leading technology companies through rapid periods of growth and brings a wealth of experience in strategy, branding, M&A and fundraising. Simon has over three decades of experience in Fintech software and Payments. He is the former CEO of PPRO which he transformed from a German start-up into a global leader in alternative payments, via international expansion and multiple successful funding rounds. Prior to PPRO, Simon was CEO of SagePay, where he led the business to 10x revenue growth. Simon currently advises growth-stage companies and private equity investors on driving innovation, market disruption and long-term growth. This appointment comes at an exciting time for ClearCourse, as the company expands its UK market presence while continuing to provide mission-critical products and services to help customers manage and grow their businesses. Throughout 2024, ClearCourse acquired an additional 4 businesses in ThinkSmart, CSY, Gob2b and Harbour Assist as part of its strategy to build a strong presence in key vertical markets characterised by high digital adoption and establishing itself in the fast-growing online and mobile payments space. Christina Hamilton, CEO of ClearCourse, said: “ I am delighted to welcome Simon to the ClearCourse board at a pivotal stage of our growth journey. He shares our ambition of building the business into a major actor in the embedded fintech space. Simon’s impressive track record of scaling payment businesses will be invaluable in supporting ClearCourse grow further in the UK and beyond and we look forward to working closely with him. ” Simon Black, incoming Non-Executive Director, added: “ I am delighted to be joining the board of ClearCourse, an exciting, innovative business with many opportunities as the high demand for embedded payments from SMBs continues unabated. I have known Christina and the Aquiline team for some time, and I have been impressed by ClearCourse’s rapid growth to date. The Group’s winning combination of deep vertical domain expertise and seamless integrated payments is truly market leading. I look forward to supporting ClearCourse’s continued leadership in attractive key sector verticals. ”

Software and Payments Specialist ClearCourse Acquires Marina and Harbour Software Provider Harbour Assist

October 17, 2024

London, 17 October 2024 – ClearCourse, a leading provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs and targeted enterprises, announces the acquisition of Harbour Assist. Founded in 2013 and based in Cornwall, Harbour Assist is a leading cloud-based marina management system that integrates customer relations, communications, asset management, invoicing and reporting into a single, easy-to-use software package. Harbour Assist serves a diverse range of marina and harbour clients across the UK, Canada, Fiji, Mexico, New Zealand, US, Australia, and the Middle East. Their clients include independent operators and multi-site organisations, Trust Ports and public sector such as Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour, Lakeland Leisure Estates, Fowey Harbour, Port of Ramsgate. Harbour Assist’s reach extends to some of the world’s most prominent marinas and harbours. Harbour Assist’s industry-specific software focuses on enhancing administrative efficiency, improving customer service, and providing robust tools for managing moorings, berths, billing, and communication with boat owners. With ClearCourse, the platform will gain access to embedded payment tools as well as additional development resources, enhancing its capability to deliver a greater quantity of features at pace. Christina Hamilton, Chief Executive Officer of ClearCourse, said : “We are delighted to welcome Harbour Assist into the ClearCourse Group. As a market leader and disrupter in marine and harbour software, Harbour Assist acquisition underscores our aim for success in 2024. This collaboration will not only enhance the service, and solutions offered to Harbour Assist’s customers but also provide them with access to a broader range of resources and expertise. We eagerly anticipate working with Nick, Graham, and the team to explore new markets, improve operational efficiencies, and deliver an integrated offering to our customers.” Nick Gill and Graham Laidler Co-founders of Harbour Assist said : “It’s very exciting to join the ClearCourse group at this crucial stage in our growth journey. For over a decade, we've earned our reputation by delivering mission-critical software designed and developed by a team of maritime professionals. Leveraging years of practical experience and ongoing customer feedback. Partnering with ClearCourse enables us to expand further and future proof our business by adding a range of innovative and efficient payments solutions, something we are incredibly excited about.” Harbour Assist will be part of the ClearCourse Sports and Leisure division. This announcement follows the recent acquisitions of B2B eCommerce platform GOb2b and retail EPOS solutions provider CSY. With these strategic additions, ClearCourse is poised to leverage enhanced capabilities and resources, driving innovation and delivering superior features to its users. Established in London in 2018, ClearCourse is a leading software and embedded payment specialist. The group’s vertical software solutions provide essential, industry-specific technology to help their customers manage and grow their businesses. Since inception, the company has undergone rapid growth by acquiring over 40 leading software and payments solutions in its core market verticals which are all underpinned by ClearCourse Payments and Services. The terms of the deal are undisclosed.