Nationwide rebel claims he was offered sweetener to drop boardroom bid Banking A rebel Nationwide customer vying for a board seat at Britain’s biggest building society claimed it offered to help him land a directorship at another firm if he dropped his boardroom bid. James Sherwin-Smith, who is on the ballot at next week’s annual general meeting to join Nationwide’s board, told Morning Wire he had a [...]
Starling names HSBC veteran as chair in boardroom shake-up on road to IPO Fintech Starling has appointed the former top boss of HSBC Bank as its new chair as the digital challenger shakes up its boardroom on the road to its long-awaited IPO. The UK fintech named Colin Bell – who has served as a non-executive director at Starling since November 2025 – as chairman of its board ahead [...]
An Inspector Calls at Nationwide’s annual general meeting Banking In 49 days An Inspector Calls at the Nationwide annual general meeting and in this week’s column Samuel Norman looks at what he could be asking. Also on the agenda… after annual report season, it’s time for Starling to go full throttle on Engine. Not since the keen-eyed Inspector Goole shattered the comfortable illusions of [...]
Monzo ditches US operations after boardroom reshuffle April 1, 2026 UK fintech Monzo has abandoned its ambitions to expand into the US after ailing efforts to crack the market. The digital bank is set to close its accounts for existing customers by June, whilst new customers will stop being on-boarded. The move to shutter US operations will lead to the axing of around 50 employees. [...]
BBC appoints former Google executive as director general March 25, 2026 Former Google executive Matt Brittin has been confirmed as the BBC’s next director general, taking over from Tim Davie at a pivotal moment for the broadcaster. Brittin spent nearly two decades at Google, most recently serving as president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa before stepping down in 2025. He will now lead the [...]
Record number of women appointed to FTSE 350 boards February 24, 2026 The UK has seen a “transformational” shift in gender diversity, with women now holding 43 per cent of board roles across FTSE 350 companies, a leap from just 9.5 per cent in 2011. The FTSE Women Leaders Review, a government-backed initiative sponsored by KPMG UK and Lloyds Banking Group, revealed that 92 per cent of [...]
EY: UK financial sector prioritises tech-savvy hires in AI era October 6, 2025 Over half of all of new non-executive directors appointed to British financial services companies over the past year have brought tech expertise, new research from big four accountancy giant EY has found. The figure, 52 per cent, shows a 16 per cent rise from the previous year, as AI continues to shift boardroom dynamics. While [...]
FTSE100 giant Diageo to replace CEO Debra Crew as sales slide July 16, 2025 Diageo will replace Debra Crew just over a year into her tenure as the drinks giant struggles to regain investor confidence following a turbulent period marked by falling sales and a sharp decline in its share price. The FTSE 100 giant has confirmed that Crew has quit with immediate effect and will be replaced on [...]
WPP picks Microsoft exec Cindy Rose as CEO amid sliding sales July 10, 2025 WPP has named Microsoft executive Cindy Rose as its new chief executive, as the advertising giant battles declining revenues, key account losses, and a falling share price. Rose will step into the top job on 1 September 2025, replacing Mark Read, who is stepping down after seven years at the helm and more than three [...]
Moneybox: Savings and investment platform gears up for possible IPO May 12, 2025 Savings and investment platform Moneybox is gearing up for a potential initial public offering (IPO) as it bolsters its boardroom with a new hire. The fintech has made a major signal it is working towards becoming a public company in the future with the appointment of Melissa Birge as an independent non-executive director. Birge has [...]