Atom Appoints Chief Financial Officer

Atom bank, the UK’s first truly digital bank which is set to launch early next year, has appointed David McCarthy as its Chief Financial Officer. David will join the existing Atom management team consisting of Anthony Thomson (Chairman), Mark Mullen (CEO), Edward Twiddy (COO), Craig Iley (MD Business Banking), Stewart Bromley (HR Director) and Sophie Haagensen (Innovation).

David is a chartered accountant and corporate treasurer with over 23 years financial management experience in retail banks and building societies, most recently as the CFO and then interim CEO of Home & Savings Bank.

David qualified with Touche Ross and has since held a number of senior financial roles in Bristol & West, Bank of Ireland and Britannia including as Treasurer for Bristol & West and as the chief financial officer of Bank of Ireland’s UK division. He was Group Finance Director at Britannia during a two year spell at the building society. He brings with him considerable expertise in financial and risk management, detailed knowledge of retail banking products and regulation and senior leadership experience in PLCs, mutuals and start-ups.

Anthony Thomson, Chairman of Atom said: “David wil take up a crucial role within the Atom management team and his knowledge will be invaluable as we continue to develop our products and services. David’s experience of financial services PLC, mutual and start-up sectors, is exactly the talent we need for this bank. I am delighted to welcome him to Atom’s senior team.”

Editors notes:

Atom isn’t yet a bank, but we’d like to be. So we’re applying to the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to become one.

Founded a year ago and based in the City of Durham, we have a growing team of people drawn from across the country working with local and national partners in the UK to help bring pioneering technology to Europe for the first time. We are building the UK’s first bank designed specifically for mobile digital technologies offering all day, every day banking and a very efficient cost model.

We have a highly experienced executive team, led by CEO Mark Mullen who has 25 years’ experience in commercial and retail banking and was previously CEO at the multi-award winning telephone and internet bank, first direct. He is supported by Dave McCarthy, Edward Twiddy, Stewart Bromley, Lisa Wood, Craig Iley, Rachel McLauchlen, Brian Seal, Andy Givens, Paul Hanks and Richard Baker – a senior team drawn from across the financial services and related industries.

We have a strong non-exec board; our Chairman Anthony Thomson was founder and former Chairman at Metro Bank. He is also Chairman of the Financial Services Forum, the UK’s leading membership organisation for senior FS industry executives and Chairman of the National Skills Academy for Financial Services, a national charity. Anthony is joined by nonexecutive directors Bridget Rosewell OBE, Patricia Jackson, John Deane and Jon Hogan.