We’re excited to announce a major board appointment at Zilch.
Dame Clare Barclay DBE has joined our Board of Directors from her role as President of Enterprise and Industry for EMEA at Microsoft – a role spanning 120 markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa – having previously served as CEO of Microsoft UK.
She brings a 27-year career at Microsoft building and scaling technology businesses across European markets, with deep expertise in AI, enterprise partnerships and digital transformation across financial services, retail and telecommunications.
She also serves as the Chair for the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council for the UK Government and was awarded a Damehood in 2025 for services to business, technology and leadership.
The appointment comes as Zilch enters its most ambitious phase of growth, with the agreed acquisition of Fjord Bank (a regulated European bank) marking the foundation of its European expansion. It also follows the recent appointment of Florence Quirici as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, reflecting Zilch’s investment in the senior leadership needed to support its next chapter of growth.
Dame Clare’s experience scaling technology across regulated European markets, embedding AI into commercial operations and building enterprise partnerships maps directly onto what this expansion will require – navigating complex regulatory environments, building institutional partnerships at scale and driving AI adoption across industries are precisely the capabilities that have defined her career at Microsoft.
Philip Belamant, Co-Founder and CEO of Zilch, said:
“Clare has spent over two decades at a global leader, scaling technology across numerous markets at the highest level – building partnerships with some of the world’s most complex organisations, embedding AI into industries that were resistant to change, and doing so across markets with very different regulatory and commercial environments. That is exactly the experience we need on our board as we extend Zilch’s model beyond the UK and we are incredibly fortunate to have someone of her calibre join us for this next chapter.”
Dame Clare Barclay DBE said:
“I’m excited to join the board of Zilch at this pivotal stage in their international expansion. In just seven years, under Philip’s leadership, the team has built one of the UK’s fastest‑growing fintech businesses by harnessing technology and AI to tackle a challenge that affects millions every day.
“What drew me to Zilch is the rare combination of exceptional people, deep customer focus and a mission grounded in technology with purpose – solving a problem at scale that will improve the financial outcomes for consumers. I look forward to working with the board to help accelerate this next chapter of growth and impact.”