Starling Bank co-founder Julian Sawyer has left the FinTech challenger. He had been instrumental in building the mobile-only bank since 2015, as part of the team running operations and building the banking services business.

Sawyer stepped down last week, following the departure of product director Ben Chisell a week earlier.

Starling also lost chief platform officer Megan Caywood to Barclays in January, while senior digital product manager Jason Wilkinson Brown left for TSB. Meanwhile, head of SME lending Stuart Doignie, who was recruited in December, moved on in May.

The executive exits come as the bank is expanding rapidly, on the back of a £75 million investment in February and a £100 million boost from the RBS Remedies fund for its expansion into business banking.

“As co-founder and former COO I’ve had an amazing 4.5 years at Starling,” Sawyer said in a statement. “The time is right for me to move on and look for my next exciting opportunity.”

The company confirmed the move, adding: “He was a key member of the team that built Starling from the ground up, always providing a steady hand and fresh ideas and acting as a tireless advocate for the bank and the entire FinTech sector – we thank him for his contribution and wish him all the best in the future.”

Starling’s banking services division will now report to head of banking Helen Bierton until a replacement is appointed.

No new appointments have been announced in recent months.

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