Who We Are
A team of industry experts with over 300 years of collective experience in credit card and consumer lending.
Our Story
Fidem Financial was founded in 2018 by Sanji Gunawardena with a clear thesis: post-crisis capital requirements had created a structural gap in the credit card market that no one was optimally positioned to fill.
Banks retained institutional knowledge of consumer credit but faced balance sheet constraints that made large card portfolios inefficient to hold. Asset managers had capital but lacked the operational depth to underwrite and manage these assets. Fidem was built to sit at that intersection combining deep card-industry expertise with institutional investment management discipline.
Our Mission
To be the partner of choice for banks, co-brand retailers, and institutional investors who seek a disciplined, experienced manager for consumer credit card assets.
We bring bank-grade credit discipline together with capital-markets agility delivering consistent risk-adjusted returns to investors while creating sustainable value for our co-brand and banking partners.
- Total Receivables Acquired
- $20B
- IRR on Realized Transactions
- 45%+
- Years Collective Experience
- 300+
- Portfolio Conversions Managed
- 325+
Our Origins
A market that changed overnight.
Credit cards remain one of the highest-return consumer assets. What changed after the financial crisis was not performance — it was regulation. New capital rules and CECL raised the cost of holding credit card receivables, especially in near-prime. Banks now carry significantly more capital against assets that still generate strong yields. The economics stayed attractive, but the capital structure became inefficient.
The Opportunity
Banks became constrained. Investors still sought exposure to a strong, proven asset class. Brands wanted broader approval coverage without losing economics. A gap opened between asset performance and bank capital requirements.
Why Fidem Exists
Fidem was founded to manage credit like a bank and fund it like a market — connecting institutional capital to consumers while delivering stronger value for banks, brands, investors, and the consumers they serve.
The Model
We bridge the imbalance by managing credit with bank-level discipline and funding it with capital-markets efficiency. Our structure supports financial inclusion, sustainable returns, and a healthier credit ecosystem.
What the Data Shows
Credit Cards During the GFC
- ›Delinquencies rose to ~6.7–6.8% at the 2009 peak but portfolios remained viable
- ›Charge-offs increased to ~10–11% in 2010 but were absorbed by strong yields
- ›Consumers prioritized minimum payments, sustaining cash flow throughout
Today
Delinquencies and charge-offs are below pre-pandemic levels — yet regulatory capital requirements remain at post-CECL highs, sustaining the structural opportunity Fidem was built to address.
Credit Card Loans & Regulatory Capital
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
How We Operate
Four principles that define our approach.
Institutional Discipline
We apply the same underwriting rigor and risk management standards expected of institutional lenders because that is precisely where our team comes from.
Operator's Mentality
Fidem does not just acquire assets we operate them. Our team has day-to-day management experience across every dimension of the credit card lifecycle.
Capital-Markets Agility
We move with the speed and certainty of a specialized manager, enabling counterparties to transact efficiently without the constraints of traditional bank balance sheets.
Aligned Incentives
Our compensation and co-investment structure ensures that Fidem's interests are genuinely aligned with our investors' we succeed when they succeed.
Leadership