PRESS RELEASE
Starling appoints Colin Bell as Chair
23rd June 2026
LONDON, 23 June 2026 – Starling Group announces today that Colin Bell is to become the new Chair of the Boards of Starling Group Holdings Limited (SGHL) and Starling Bank Limited (SBL) on 1 July 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
Colin has been a Starling Board member since October 2025, when he joined as an Independent Non-Executive Director and later became Chair of the SGHL and SBL Board Risk Committees. He will now take over as Chair of both Boards from David Sproul, who we announced in March would step down after leading Starling through five years of significant expansion and change.
Colin Bell, incoming Chair, said: ‘It’s an honour to be joining Starling as Chair at a time when the business is so well positioned for its next phase of growth. David leaves behind a strong legacy - a rigorous governance framework and a deep-rooted culture that puts customers at the heart of every decision. I look forward to working closely with the Board and the executive team to ensure that we scale with both pace and discipline.’
Colin brings extensive experience in commercial leadership and large-scale transformation, having served as Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Bank PLC and HSBC Europe. He also has deep expertise in compliance and risk management, including as Group Chief Compliance Officer at HSBC and Head of Compliance and Operational Risk Control at UBS. Earlier in his career Colin spent 16 years in the British Army, holding a range of command and staff appointments.
David Sproul, outgoing Chair, said: ‘I wanted to be able to hand over the reins to someone who could steward Starling through its next phase of growth and development, and I’m confident that Colin fits this brief. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him every success.’
Starling’s search for a new Chair was led by Tracy Clarke, Senior Independent Director. She added: ‘We had a very competitive field and I’d like to thank the strong candidates who came forward. Having had the opportunity to see Colin interacting with the Boards and key stakeholders over the last few months, I know he’s the right choice. I, too, wish him every success in his new role.’
Raman Bhatia, Group Chief Executive Officer, concluded: ‘Over the last few months Colin has shown himself to be a leader who skilfully balances constructive challenge and support. My executive team and I look forward to working closely with him as we execute Starling’s strategy for growth.’
About Starling
Starling is a financial technology group on a mission to empower people and small businesses around the world to be good with money. In the UK, Starling’s award-winning, fully-licensed bank provides personal, business and joint current accounts to millions of customers. Internationally, Engine by Starling provides the Group’s proprietary technology platform to likeminded banks as a SaaS proposition. Headquartered in London, Starling has 12 offices located around the world, including Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester in its home market.
Contact Starling
Will McSheehy, Group Head of Corporate Affairs, 07508 718039
Laura Blumenthal, Senior PR Manager, 07572 036333