Starling Bank bolsters banking leadership with appointment of Raghu Narula

Starling Bank today announced that Raghu Narula will be joining as Chief Banking Officer, subject to regulatory approval. The appointment is the latest in a series of experienced hires to Starling’s Executive Committee by CEO Raman Bhatia, as the bank further strengthens its leadership and banking capabilities. It follows the recent addition of Michele Rousseau as Chief Marketing Officer and Adeel Hyder as Managing Director of SME Banking.

In his role as Chief Banking Officer, Raghu will be responsible for driving customer and commercial growth as well as innovation across all the bank’s customer segments - both business and retail - with a focus on the development and launch of new products, customer propositions and go-to-market strategies. 

Raghu joins Starling in February 2025 with more than 20 years of experience across retail, wealth and commercial banking and strategy. He most recently served as Managing Director, Customer Engagement and Distribution at Natwest Group.

Before joining Natwest, Raghu held a number of key senior leadership positions at HSBC. He worked across different regions, including Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the UK, helping to build and grow businesses in various stages of development, from their initial launch to large-scale transformation.

Raghu Narula, Chief Banking Officer at Starling Bank, said: “I’m looking forward to joining Starling as it embarks on its next phase of innovation and growth. 

“My goal is to work with my exceptional colleagues to continue to challenge and change how banking customers can be best served in the UK. I'm confident we can make a real tangible difference, not just for our existing but also for many more customers going forward, both individuals and small businesses."

Raman Bhatia, CEO at Starling Group, said: “Raghu’s vast knowledge across retail, wealth management, and commercial banking, coupled with his deep understanding of digital transformation in financial services, make him an ideal fit for Starling. He understands how technology will continue to change the way we bank, and how to lead teams to deliver exceptional results. This appointment further strengthens our leadership team as we embark on our next phase of growth.”