Starling Bank appoints Ovo boss Bhatia as new CEO

Starling Bank said on Tuesday that it has appointed Raman Bhatia - the current boss of energy firm Ovo - as its new chief executive officer.

Bhatia will take over from John Mountain, who has been interim CEO since founder Anne Boden announced she was stepping back from the role last year.

Before leading Ovo, Bhatia was head of Digital Bank for HSBC’s retail banking and wealth management business in the UK and Europe, as well as being a member of its Executive Committee. This included responsibility for HSBC, First Direct and M&S Bank.

Starling said he brings "a wealth of consumer tech and fintech expertise" to the bank.

"He has worked in both scaled, regulated businesses and in entrepreneurial challengers," it said.

"This, coupled with his experience at OVO of navigating one of Britain’s leading digitally driven disruptor brands through a period of significant change, makes him an ideal leader of Starling."