The founder of Starling Bank, Anne Boden, is to step down as chief executive in a surprise move that she said was designed to shield the online bank from potential concerns over a conflict of interest, because she is a major shareholder.
Boden, who launched the bank in 2014, said on Thursday that the “roles and priorities” of a shareholder and chief executive “ultimately differ” and that, to ensure there was “no potential conflict”, she would give up her executive role next month but remain on the board as a non-executive director.
