UK-based digital challenger bank Starling has appointed Adeel Hyder, formerly of TSB, as the new managing director of SME banking. Hyder joins the Starling executive committee after previously serving as TSB’s business banking director. His experience also includes time at McKinsey and RBS.
In this pivotal role, Hyder will focus on driving commercial growth and fostering innovation within Starling’s business banking sector, with the aim of developing and launching new financial products and services. Starling currently holds a 9% market share in small business banking and is recognized as the second-best bank for overall service quality in this sector, as reported by the Competition and Markets Authority.
Hyder expressed his enthusiasm for this new opportunity, stating, “Starling is deeply committed to supporting the ambitions of UK entrepreneurs. I am passionate about leveraging technology and innovation to deliver exceptional banking experiences for our small business customers.”
However, his arrival comes amid reports of declining staff morale at Starling. A recent article in The Guardian highlighted employee concerns regarding CEO Raman Bhatia’s return-to-office policy, which has been described as creating a “grey corporate hellscape.” The policy requires hybrid staff to work at the office for a minimum of 10 days monthly, despite inadequate desk availability to support this influx of employees.