In his new role, Clarke is set to work closely with Napier’s CEO, Greg Watson, to develop a robust strategy for the firm’s global third-party distribution, including partnerships and alliances.

Clarke’s addition to the Napier team brings considerable expertise in corporate development, gained from over 20 years at the likes of Capgemini, Sopra Steria and, most recently, as Fenergo’s Vice President and Head of Global Partners and Alliances.

Continuing the award-winning RegTech’s trajectory of aggressive expansion, corporate development under Clarke will form a key pillar of Napier’s growth strategy over the next several years, with a view to solidify its presence in existing markets and expand its global footprint.

“It is tremendously exciting to join Napier at this point of its expansion. As a market-leading vendor offering exceptional technology to combat financial crime, Napier is in an excellent position to build upon and foster new relationships to create a world-class distribution network to deliver the best services and new opportunities for our clients,” said Clarke.

This key hire signals the next phase of the firm’s already thriving partners programme, which has been built and is overseen by Napier’s Global Head of Partnerships, Melissa Warren. Securing partnerships and third-party alliances worldwide, the UK-headquartered SaaS provider will leverage the expertise of regional networks to deliver its solutions with greater customisation to the requirements of local regulations, implementation needs, risk landscapes and cultural nuances.

“As Napier continues to grow, partnerships and alliances will form a key part of our strategy in delivering a superior customer experience and help our clients build the most effective financial crime risk management ecosystem. We are thrilled to have Julian oversee this drive which will broaden our offering by complementing our highly flexible technology with strategically-chosen partners, products and services,” said Greg Watson, CEO at Napier.

With presence in key financial markets across the globe such as North America, the Middle East, the UK, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, Napier serves over 200 enterprise clients globally including banks, payment providers, asset managers, FX, gaming, crypto exchanges and other financial institutions.