Anthony Watson steps down from role as CEO of The Bank of London
The Bank of London founder Anthony Watson is stepping down from his position as CEO and will transition to a new role as senior adviser at the firm.
Anthony Watson steps down as Bank of London CEO
He is to retain his position as non-executive director of the group’s holding company and also remains a shareholder.
Stephen Bell, who has served as the bank’s chief risk and compliance officer for the last three years, is set to take the reins as the company’s new CEO, subject to regulatory approval.
Commenting on the announcement, Watson describes the move as “one of the most challenging decisions of my career”, adding that now is “the right time after eight years leading the company”.
“Founding The Bank of London and seeing it grow into what it is today has been the greatest privilege of my life,” he continues.
“But just as a founder must build, they must also know the right time to pass the torch.”
Watson adds that he has “full confidence” that Bell is “the right person to lead the bank into its next chapter”.
Established in 2021, The Bank of London provides clearing services – including settlement, payments, cash management and embedded banking – to more than 4,500 businesses throughout the UK.
It is actively attempting to extend its presence to neighbouring markets and lodged an application for an EU banking licence in July last year. The announcement was accompanied by the firm’s commitment to invest €200 million in Luxembourg and across the wider region to support its growth across the EU. At present, no further announcements have been made regarding the progress of this application.
