Starling Bank is a digital, mobile-only challenger bank based in the United Kingdom, operating current accounts, business banking, and a payments service scheme for merchants.

Finance

Starling Bank

As Operations Strategist Clare is responsible for our Customer Service team, our account onboarding teams, as well as our business operations including payments, cards and financial crime operations.

She has had a varied career in financial services over 30 years working in corporate banking, risk management and operations management. She started her career with NatWest subsequently moving to RBS and [Virgin Money](/org/clydesdale-bank) before joining Starling in 2016. She was attracted by the opportunity of using her experience to build a truly better bank whilst continuing to learn more about the fintech world.

If she wasn’t at Starling, Clare would be travelling the world. She wants to visit 100 countries and still has a few to go to reach her target!

Clare Nestor

As Chief Operating Officer, John is responsible for IT strategy and ensuring the technology platform delivers the retail banking product required by Starling and expected by the Regulator.

After many years as a technical architect working for clients such as Lloyds and [Bank of America](/org/bank-of-america), he became increasingly frustrated with the inefficiency and lack of commitment to improving technology at the traditional banks.

John approached Starling in mid-2015 because he was excited about the opportunity for a banking start-up that is also a technology business throughout. Since he joined, he has designed a systems landscape for a retail bank from scratch and recruited a team to work across platform, infrastructure, security and mobile.

If he wasn’t working at Starling, John would be sailing around the world (or at least to France) and probably trying to solve some software problems on the way.

John Mountain

Cordelia Kafetz is the Head of Financial Risk at [Starling Bank](/org/starling-bank). Cordelia has previously worked at the [Bank of England](/org/bank-of-england), leading the payments policy team and the work on the future of finance. Kafetz has also managed the [Bank of England](/org/bank-of-england)'s liquidity operations and ran technical assistance for Bank Indonesia.

Cordelia Kafetz has an Investment Management Certificate from 2006 and a BSc (Hons) Economics from the [University of Bristol](/org/university-of-bristol).

Cordelia Kafetz reports to Declan Ferguson, CFO.

Cordelia Kafetz

As General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Company Secretary, Matt is responsible for legal affairs, including overseeing, identifying and dealing with all legal issues which affect Starling. Matt has been a partner at three law firms, most recently Thomas Eggar, working in corporate law and acting for a number of financial services institutions.

He joined Starling because he was interested in trying to do something that would change things. Anne Boden had been a client for many years and they had worked together on successful projects, so he thought he’d go “all in” with Starling to give himself a new challenge (plus his wife thought he’d be good as an in-house lawyer).

If he wasn’t working at Starling, Matt would probably still be satisfying his obsession with detail as a lawyer somewhere, but he would love to be a golf course architect.

Matt Newman

Declan is responsible for Starling’s strategic and corporate development activity, which includes leading on international expansion, capital raising, longer term financial business planning and strategic forward flow arrangements to support the bank’s growth and development.

Prior to Starling, he trained as a chartered accountant at PwC where he led engagements across corporate finance and strategy for a range of financial services businesses across Europe post financial crisis.

Declan spent most of his time working on the turnaround, restructuring and sale of European banks as well as on a range of large loan portfolios and other credit-related transactions involving UK challenger banks.

If he wasn’t at Starling, he would be playing bass guitar and singing backing vocals in a rock band.

Declan Ferguson

As Chief People Officer, Susanna is responsible for directing Starling’s people plan. Her experience was gained whilst working for multi-nationals in the financial services and energy sectors as well as in her own HR consultancy, which provided practical, commercial advice to SMEs across a variety of sectors and industries. She has significant experience in all areas of Human Resource Management and enjoys building fantastic places to work.

If she wasn’t at Starling, Susanna would be in muddy wellies in a field with her dog.

Susanna Yallop

As CEO, Anne oversees the Executive Leadership Team and focuses its vision on building the best possible customer experience. She is also a member of Starling’s Board of Directors. After graduating in computer science and chemistry, Anne started her career at Lloyds Bank, where she helped architect CHAPS, the UK’s first real-time payments system. She worked at Standard Chartered and UBS, before becoming Head of EMEA, Global Transaction Banking across 34 countries for RBS and [ABN AMRO](/org/abn-amro).

After the financial crisis, Anne spoke to people around the world about the changes in banking and technology. She joined Allied Irish Banks Plc as Chief Operating Officer to apply these learnings but was frustrated by the restrictions still imposed by outdated technology.

Anne decided the only way to solve this was to build a bank from the ground up. This idea started becoming a reality in 2014 and Starling has grown from there. Anne’s vision for Starling is to build the best bank account in the world.

Anne lives and breathes Starling, but if she had to do something very different it would be something entrepreneurial in the application of machine learning to fabric and fashion design.

In June 2019 Anne's book The Money Revolution was released, simplifying the jargon filled financial advice that we are bombarded with by giving us an easy and transparent guide to help us get control of our finances.

Anne Boden

As Starling’s Chief Technology Officer, Steve is responsible for the delivery of the company’s software across the board, from mobile and servers to the database and platform, alongside the core infrastructure that supports it all. He plays an integral part in the entire technology stack, both managing and developing from the ground level up.

Steve began his coding career at the age of 10, but started getting paid for it 17 years ago. He spent 12 years at Alfa as a consultant and software developer, after which he moved onto LMAX as a senior developer, with stints in CTO roles throughout.

Steve seized the opportunity to join Starling early on in 2015, because he’d found himself frustrated with the slow-moving processes and planning of the big established banks; he believed that they weren’t making use of the possibilities of technology and was excited by the idea of a building an entirely modern bank from a blank slate.

Steve Newson

As Chief Risk Officer, Larry leads the development and implementation of our risk management approach. This includes designing our Anti-Money Laundering and Fraud frameworks and providing Risk support to all parts of the Starling customer journey.

Before joining Starling, Larry spent 18 years working across financial services with roles at [KPMG](/org/kpmg), [Direct Line Group](/org/direct-line-group) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) which has since been split into the [Financial Conduct Authority](/org/the-financial-conduct-authority) (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).

The key attraction of Starling for Larry was the opportunity to work in organisation with the clear aim of improving the financial lives of its customers through great technology and a strong risk culture.

If he wasn’t working at Starling, Larry would leave the city, family in tow, to wile away the hours in the countryside.

Larry Potter

As Chief Asset Management Officer, Damian is responsible for looking after Starling’s activities around acquiring and managing loan assets.

Prior to Starling, he led NatWest Market’s UK Financial Institution client business, where he and his team helped banks and non-bank lenders with funding, risk management and capital markets issuance. He specialised in helping clients buy, sell and finance portfolios of loans.

If he wasn’t at Starling he would be cycling up mountains in the Mallorcan sunshine, in between flying lessons.

Damian Thompson

As Head of Corporate Affairs, Alexandra leads PR and external communications for the company. She joined Starling after a 31-year career in journalism, based mainly in London but also including postings to Paris, New York and Washington DC. She spent 25 years at The Times, where she served as a reporter, foreign correspondent and business columnist.

Alexandra joined Starling because of its very clear mission to improve the financial lives of its personal and business customers, while at the same time challenging many of the tired and outmoded practices and attitudes of the traditional banking industry.

If she wasn’t at Starling, Alexandra would be running her own cake and pastry shop and practising Yoga.

Alexandra Frean

As Director of Products, Sam is responsible for Starling’s product vision and user experience, which includes the range of banking, payments, lending and business products offered through the mobile apps and online.

Sam began his career as a software engineer, designing and delivering features for an accounting package during the school holidays. After a degree in Chemistry, too much of which was spent building software, he joined a software consultancy and worked in almost every area from sales, requirements definitions and process design to implementation and support.

Sam joined Starling in 2016 to deliver the systems and apps required to launch the Starling current account to customers, excited by the opportunity to deliver rapid product and technical innovation to a slow-moving and change averse sector. His Starling highlight is being the person to push the button to publish the Starling app to the App Store for the first time.

If he wasn’t at Starling, Sam would probably still be satisfying his obsession with efficiency by building systems for another area of life, preferably whilst living on the coast.

Sam Everington

As Chief Banking Officer Helen oversees Starling’s personal and business bank accounts and leads marketing. Prior to Starling, she spent 24 years in banking, working for Santander, Alliance & Leicester and NatWest, where she has launched new products and services for customers. Amongst the things she’s proud of in her career so far, Helen helped launch the first digital mortgage application process and the first high interest credit current account.

She joined Starling because she believes in its mission to deliver a better, more innovative banking experience to customers. Throughout her time at Santander, she was also a keen supporter of helping women progress their careers in financial services. As Chair of their internal women’s network she led a team that supported more than 3,200 women. She is also a retired sportswoman, having competed for Great Britain in Archery at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

Starling Bank

Org chart

Teams

Leadership Team

CEO and Executive Team

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