Starling Bank announces the appointment of Michele Rousseau as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) as part of moves to strengthen its leadership team under Group CEO Raman Bhatia. As a member of the bank’s executive committee, Michele will be responsible for driving Starling’s next phase of growth through brand development, customer engagement, and product marketing.
Michele brings more than 20 years of experience working for some of the world’s largest digital businesses, most recently at Expedia Group, where she built an award-winning global creative marketing team that supported the growth of the company’s suite of travel apps. Prior to this, she spent more than a decade at Apple, both in the UK and in California, leading hardware brand marketing and as Managing Director for the Services Marketing organisation which launched Apple Music, Apple News, Apple Arcade and Apple TV+.
At Starling, Michele will be responsible for brand, creative, storytelling, product marketing, customer acquisition and retention, with priorities aligned to business objectives:
- Developing and enhancing Starling’s brand and its reputation as a bank using the power of technology to do the right thing for its customers and its people
- Deepening Starling’s existing customer relationships and building new ones with products that meet key customer needs, such as Starling’s new ‘Easy Saver’
- Sharpening the bank’s focus on small business customers and commercial market opportunities
“Michele's exceptional track record in marketing makes her the ideal leader to elevate our brand and accelerate our market positioning,” said Group CEO, Raman Bhatia. “Her strategic vision and passion for customer experience will be crucial to our continued expansion.”
Michele said: “Starling’s relentless focus on the customer, combined with its industry-leading technology, puts it in a unique position for growth. I’m delighted to join a team of passionate marketers as we elevate Starling’s brand and marketing efforts to the next level.”