Starling plans to ‘come out swinging’ in diversification bidBernadette Smith is Starling's new chief banking officer. “If I could write the headline for Starling next year… it is we’ve made some changes, we’ve come out swinging with energy, and this is a consequence of that.” “I’d like to see revenue go up, driven by fee income,” she says. Read more UK fintech Starling to axe 130 roles in AI-powered simplification driveSmith rejects that Starling has a diversification “problem” but adds “it’s something we want to address”. The bank’s capital surplus exceeded £525m as of May 2026, which Smith says leaves all the options on the table.