“ I wanted to offer people a fairer , smarter and more human alternative to the banks of the past ”
Anne Boden ’ s decision to step back from her role as ex-CEO of Starling Bank will be keenly felt in banking circles , given the impact her leadership has had
Anne Boden is the highly regarded and vastly experienced CEO of the UK ’ s Starling Bank . She founded the challenger in 2014 after a 30-year career at some of the world ’ s best known financial institutions – including Allied Irish Banks , Royal Bank of Scotland , and ABN AMRO .
In a shock decision , she stepped back from the top role at Starling Bank at the end of June , replaced on an interim basis by the bank ’ s former COO , John Mountain . Although she remains on the board , it brings a close to an impressive tenure that saw Starling grow from a fledgling disruptor to a mainstream fintech bank in full flight .
The move was designed to protect the bank from accusations of a conflict of interest , given Boden ’ s role as both CEO and a major shareholder . “ It is clear the roles and priorities of a CEO and a large shareholder ultimately differ and require distinct approaches ,” she said in clarification of the decision , further underlying how far the bank has come since its early days nearly a decade ago . Reflecting on her reason to launch Starling Bank before she stepped down as CEO , Boden said : “ I wanted to offer people a fairer , smarter and more human alternative to the banks of the past . We have achieved this by giving our customers world-class technology in the palm of their hand and 24 / 7 customer service , allowing them to feel supported wherever they are and whatever their financial needs .”
An entrepreneurial spirit from a young age A proud Welshwoman , Anne Boden was born in Swansea in 1960 . Her father was a steelworker – a common occupation for the area at that time – while her mother applied her hand to several business ventures , including a car hire company and a builders ’ merchant . Clearly , the entrepreneurial spirit was passed on through the generations .
While still at school , Boden got her first taste of finance , entrusted with keeping the records of her school bank , which was set up to teach her classmates the value of money . Students would pay in a small amount of money on a regular basis and receive a lump sum at the end of the year , which they could spend on things that were important to them .
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