(4 March 2026 – United Kingdom) NatWest Group has appointed Adeel Hyder as Managing Director of Business Banking, recruiting the executive from Starling Bank as it continues to expand its SME franchise.
Hyder brings experience spanning consulting and banking, with previous roles at McKinsey & Company and TSB Bank. Most recently at Starling, he played a key role in building and scaling the lender’s digital-first business banking offering.
Robert Begbie, CEO of Commercial & Institutional at NatWest, says: “Adeel brings deep commercial experience across both challenger and established banks, and a strong track record of building solutions to the challenges small businesses face. He will be an excellent addition to our leadership team, helping us accelerate our plans to strengthen support for start-ups and deliver improved digital journeys for small business customers across the UK.”
NatWest’s Business Banking division serves more than one million SMEs, ranging from start-ups and small firms to high-growth businesses and community organisations. The unit also provides a stable funding base for the group and is central to a broader digital transformation and growth program planned for 2026.
Entrepreneurial businesses remain a strategic focus for the bank, which recently announced plans to expand its NatWest Accelerator community to 50,000 start-ups by 2026.
Says Hyder: “I’m delighted to join NatWest and excited to lead its Business Banking business at such a pivotal moment. Small business entrepreneurs are the fundamental drivers and barometer of the health of the UK economy, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the bank to ensure entrepreneurs can focus on doing what they love while we save them time and help them stay in control of their finances through our solutions.”