Anne Boden

In March 2024, after leaving her role as Starling Bank CEO, Anne Boden published her third book, 'Female Founders' Playbook: Insights from the Superwomen Who Have Made It,' and a companion op-ed in This Is Money. She argued that only about 2p of every GBP1 of UK equity investment goes to fully female-founded businesses, a figure unchanged in a decade, and that the funding system - not women founders themselves - needs to change. The book became an Amazon bestseller in the venture capital category.

On May 25, 2023, Starling Bank founder Anne Boden announced she would step down as CEO effective June 30, 2023, saying the roles and priorities of a CEO and a large shareholder (she held roughly 4.9% of the company) ultimately differ and require distinct approaches. She remained on the board as a non-executive director. Boden stated the FCA 'did not raise any concerns whatsoever' about the move and that the decision was hers and the board's, not regulator-mandated. The announcement came amid record financial performance, with Starling reporting a sixfold increase in profits.