ClearCourse appoints Christina Hamilton as Chief Executive Officer

January 17, 2023

London 17 January 2023: ClearCourse, a leading provider of integrated software solutions, today announces the appointment of Christina Hamilton as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Christina succeeds founding CEO Gerry Gualtieri, who assumes a new position as a non-executive board member of ClearCourse.


Christina is an accomplished leader of global financial technology businesses. She joins ClearCourse from the major payments platform, Stripe, and her career includes an impressive tenure at software company, Xplor, where she led the global Fitness & Wellbeing division. Christina previously held executive roles at Western Union, overseeing the company’s B2B payments business in the UK and leading the international expansion of the WU.com digital payments business. She started her career in banking at Citigroup and UBS.


Gerry hands over the position of CEO to Christina after overseeing pivotal growth for ClearCourse, which has assembled a strong cohort of software businesses – serving approximately 25,000 corporate customers in total – in just four years. As ClearCourse advances, it aims to drive further growth by increasing the organic revenue of industry-specific software solutions that empower SMEs and enterprise customers. Christina’s software and FinTech acumen will propel the company in this next phase, building on the culture and foundation established since its founding in 2018 with the backing of Aquiline Capital Partners.


Andrew Blazye, ClearCourse’s Board Chair, said:


“ClearCourse has undergone significant growth since launch – now employing over 900 people through nearly 40 acquisitions in the UK. Tapping into her valuable experience across software and financial services, Christina is an outstanding leader to take the business through the next stage of its evolution. On behalf of the ClearCourse board, I’d very much like to thank Gerry for his role in leading the development of the business since its inception in 2018.
I am delighted he has agreed to stay on our board in a non-executive capacity.”


Christina Hamilton, ClearCourse’s CEO, said:


“Over the last four years, Gerry has led ClearCourse on a highly impressive growth trajectory and helped build a wonderfully diverse team across the UK and beyond. I am honoured to build on this legacy and excited to lead ClearCourse in providing market-leading business management tools to companies of all sizes across a number of different verticals. It will be a pleasure to work alongside the wider team as we look ahead to a vast future of possibilities for ClearCourse’s customers, our people, product development, and growth.” 

A member of staff at a farm shop smiles as she operates an EPOS terminal

Software and Payments Specialist ClearCourse Acquires Cloud-Based Retail Software Provider, Davidson Richards

July 29, 2025
LONDON 29 July 2025: ClearCourse, the provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs, announces the acquisition of Davidson Richards, a leading retail management and EPOS (electronic point of sale) systems provider. Davidson Richards provides cloud-based management and EPOS systems tailored to the retail industry. Founded in 1977 and based in Derby, Davidson Richards launched its flagship product, OpSuite, in 2012 after recognising the need to address gaps left by off-the-shelf products. Today, OpSuite enables retailers to centralise and streamline operations by integrating with core systems such as accounting software, eCommerce platforms, mobile and loyalty applications, and warehousing. Trusted by many leading garden centres – a sector where OpSuite has established a strong reputation – its extensive functionality also makes it suitable for a broad range of sectors, including grocery, fashion, and furniture. Joining the ClearCourse group will enable Davidson Richards to expand their offerings, providing customers with in-house payment and eCommerce solutions. By offering these in partnership with other specialist ClearCourse companies, Davidson Richards will be able to focus on building new client relationships and to profile the benefits of OpSuite to new retail market segments. Led by a long-serving expert team including ex-retailers, Davidson Richards offers its clients consultancy, training, bespoke development and dedicated in-house support. Their customer centric approach means that many of the Davidson Richards team are directly involved in technical or support delivery for clients to provide greater value to its clients. ClearCourse aims to become the engine powering small and medium businesses across the UK by putting big tech solutions in the hands of founders and their growing businesses. Davidson Richards offers a clear opportunity for ClearCourse to deepen its presence in the retail sector, and its long-standing, loyal customer base and experienced team closely align with ClearCourse’s culture and values. Christina Hamilton, CEO of ClearCourse said: “We are delighted to welcome Davidson Richards into the ClearCourse group as part of our Retail & Hospitality Software vertical. OpSuite is a market leading product that is well positioned to expand its innovative offering into new sectors. We are excited about the natural integration this partnership enables, as OpSuite will be able to offer in-house payment and other commerce enabling solutions through the wider ClearCourse group products.” Keith Bateman, Sales Director at Davidson Richards said: “This acquisition marks an exciting new chapter for our business and customers. Joining the ClearCourse group will enable us to enhance the service we offer our customers, particularly through the introduction of an in-house Electronic Funds Transfer solution. ClearCourse is the ideal partner to help us to grow the business through an increased investment into marketing and to reach more customers.”

ClearCourse welcomes new Chief Financial Officer, Sacha Bielawski

June 25, 2025
LONDON, 25 June 2025 : ClearCourse, a provider of industry-specific software and embedded payment solutions for SMEs and targeted enterprises, today announced the appointment of Sacha Bielawski as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Sacha will lead ClearCourse’s financial strategy, working with senior leaders to accelerate organic growth, drive profitable sales, and deliver the company’s goal of being a leading engine powering small and mid-sized businesses across the UK. Before joining ClearCourse, Sacha spent nearly nine years as Chief Financial Officer at Coople, a leading digital staffing agency, where he led corporate expansion initiatives and oversaw the Group’s financial strategy. He has also held senior roles within private equity and investment firms, where he focused on identifying and scaling high-potential businesses through strategic M&A, financial restructuring and investment projects across Europe and the US. Sacha builds on the achievements of Mark Grafton who will be leaving the company later this month. “We’re delighted to welcome Sacha Bielawski as ClearCourse’s new CFO at this exciting time in the company’s continued evolution” said Christina Hamilton, CEO. “His extensive expertise in scaling businesses, leading growth acceleration programmes and driving innovation and efficiency will be instrumental in delivering our next phase of growth.” “I am delighted to join ClearCourse at such a pivotal time in its journey,” Sacha Bielawski said . “I believe the company is well-positioned to capitalise on the convergence of software and payments, an accelerating trend that presents compelling organic growth opportunities over the coming years. “As ClearCourse continues to acquire software companies in high growth verticals, I look forward to leveraging my entrepreneurial experience to engage with business owners considering a partnership with ClearCourse and to support them post-acquisition to grow further within our platform. “ClearCourse is a business with significant potential, and I am excited to contribute to its next chapter of growth and long-term value creation.”