Spire Appoints Jennifer LaClair to CEO as the Company Transforms Pay-by-Bank for Merchants and Consumers

DALLAS, Feb. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pay With Spire, Inc., a modern Pay-by-Bank solution for everyday spend, today announced the appointment of Jennifer LaClair as CEO. With more than two decades of experience across some of the largest banking, payments and financial technology companies, LaClair joins the Spire team at a pivotal phase of growth for the company and the payments industry.

To help accelerate this growth, the company also announced a $10 million Series B round led by Continental Investment Partners, with participation from additional investors. Under the leadership of LaClair, this investment will be used to drive client growth, and further scale company infrastructure that will expand Pay-by-Bank access to both merchants and consumers, and redefine how people pay and earn rewards.

“I’m honored to step into this role during such a pivotal time for Spire; there is clearly a surging demand from merchants and consumers for a cost effective and frictionless in-store Pay-by-Bank solution,” said LaClair. “Spire is making everyday spending seamless, secure, low-cost, and rewarding for both merchants and consumers. And with this new investment, we can expand and scale our industry leading platform across verticals.”

“Spire is redefining the future of payments for everyday spend, and that’s why we are excited to lead this financing,” said Paul Purcell, Spire board member and head of growth capital, Continental Investment Partners. “Spire is an innovative company with a strong history of delivering exceptional value for the payments industry. We are excited to welcome Jennifer to the team. With this investment and the onboarding of Jennifer as CEO, we’re confident Spire will set the standard for Pay-by-Bank adoption as open banking in the US takes hold.”

Previously at Fiserv, LaClair served as Head of Merchant Solutions, where she managed global payment solutions for over one thousand enterprise merchants and two million small business merchants. Before Fiserv, LaClair was the CFO of Ally Financial, the largest digital only bank and large retail lender. She also spent 10 years at PNC Financial Services, holding multiple business and finance leadership roles — including head of PNC’s Business Bank — where she played a central role in merchant strategy and managing its joint venture with Fiserv.

As Spire enters this next chapter of hyper-growth, Matt Brennan will leverage his deep payments experience and expertise, assuming a new role as the President and Chief Commercial Officer of Spire, where he will partner with Jennifer to accelerate growth, as well as remain active with key clients.

To learn more about Spire, visit: https://paywithspire.com/

About Spire
Pay With Spire, Inc. (Spire) is the solution making Pay-by-Bank a reality for everyday spend at retail, clothing stores, home improvement, grocers, specialty coffee shops, quick service restaurants, gas stations, and convenience stores. Spire is the only provider offering Pay-by-Bank over credit card rails, enabling low-cost payments at over 200,000 terminals with no POS integration needed and credit card-like settlement. Merchants gain near-universal acceptance, enhanced security, and actionable data to drive loyalty and growth — while significantly reducing payment costs and saving millions that can be passed directly on to consumers. In turn, consumers enjoy a fast, familiar checkout experience at the point of sale through app, physical card or digital payments, along with access to exclusive savings and deals. Unlock a smarter way to shop and pay - every day, everywhere - with Spire. To learn more about Spire, visit the website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

Media Contact
Jack Hayes
Marketbridge (PR for Spire)
Jhayes@marketbridge.com

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