ClearBank, the enabler of real-time clearing and embedded banking, today announces the appointment of Neil Drennan as Chief Technology Officer. Drennan will lead the evolution and enhancement of ClearBank’s cloud-based API and payments infrastructure as it continues to expand its services across the UK and Europe.

Drennan joins the company from Visa, where he has spent three years as Chief Technology Officer for Visa Cross Border Solutions and Currency Cloud, the global cross-border payments, collections and FX provider. He brings over 15 years of experience across the media and financial services industry, including roles at 10x Future Technologies and Amazon.

He has vast experience leading technology teams and developing cloud-based financial solutions across the UK, European and US markets. During his time at Visa, Drennan created the company’s Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCoE) programme to bring cloud-native best practices into Visa and embed them across the business.

He will lead ClearBank’s technology team and sit on the Group executive team as the company looks to accelerate its expansion into new markets. Last year, ClearBank announced the launch of its channel partnerships offer and embedded banking services for corporate customers, enabling it to expand its services and attract new customers.

Mark Fairless, Chief Executive Officer of ClearBank, said: “Neil will bring invaluable experience in streamlining and scaling our leading cloud-based platform, to support our on-going growth. As we expand into new offerings and markets, our technology will continue to be a critical differentiator in the quality and resilience of our propositions for our clients. I look forward to working closely with Neil as part of our executive team to continue scaling ClearBank to new heights, and help clients deliver on their ambitions.”

Neil Drennan, Chief Technology Officer of ClearBank, said: “I have admired the way in which ClearBank has shaken up the payments and banking sector over the last decade. Its unique approach of blending innovative cloud-based technology with trusted regulatory processes has established it as a leader in UK financial services, powering many of the fintech industry’s most exciting companies. I look forward to getting on board and bringing my experience of working with international clients to drive ClearBank’s growth over the next few years.”