Book Review
Banking On It by Anne Boden, ceo and founder of Starling Bank, is the first-hand account of one woman's quest to rebuild Britain's broken banking system. After a lengthy career at the top of some of Britain's leading banks Anne had become disillusioned with the status quo - the financial crash had broken trust in the whole sector but there seemed to be little appetite to make the most of emerging technologies to revolutionize customer experience. Increasingly frustrated with the inertia within the industry she decided to shake things up herself by doing something totally radical - setting up her own bank.
In the awe-inspiring story that is Banking On It, Anne Boden, ceo and founder of Starling Bank, reveals how she broke through bureaucracy, tackled prejudice and successfully countered widespread suspicion to realize her vision for the future of consumer banking. She fulfilled that dream by founding Starling, the winner of Best British Bank at the British Bank Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and in doing so has triggered a new movement that is revolutionizing the entire banking industry.
Author quotes
No-one can label you a failure when what you are trying to do is audacious. Botching something easy is a failure. Failing in an attempt to achieve something huge is just courageous.
If you want to make it big as a digital entrepreneur, or indeed any sort of entrepreneur, you need a Big Idea, right? Actually, this isn’t entirely true. All you need is an idea.
Entrepreneurial success is far more dependent on the character and determination of the individual driving the startup.
Most of the world’s largest, most profitable digital firms were not built on the back of unique, brilliant ideas that led the market. No, they were built on the dogged persistence of their founders.
About the Author
Anne Boden is the CEO and founder of Starling Bank, the UK's first digital-only bank which she founded in 2014. She graduated in Computer Science and Chemistry and started her career at Lloyds Bank where she helped establish the UK's first real-time payments system. She has held various executive-level jobs in the banking sector, including being Head of EMEA Global Transaction Banking across 34 countries for RBS and ABN AMRO, before leaving to start her own bank that could realize the potential of technology in financial services. Anne received an MBE in 2018, for services to financial technology and sits on the board of UK Finance, which represents more than 250 firms in the banking and finance industry.
Why LoA loves it….
There is something life-affirming about meeting industry disruptors, they think differently, they act quickly and with purpose, and importantly they have big ideas and big visions for what they are trying to achieve. They believe anything is possible, and importantly, they demonstrate that belief with the businesses they build. Anne Boden is a true disruptor, and her big idea for disrupting the banking sector with her digital only bank is truly inspirational. For women entrepreneurs around the world who want to shake things up with their business ideas and innovations, Anne is a great role model and shows that big ideas combined with tenacity, persistence and hard work can become game changing realities. This is a must-read book for every woman entrepreneur who wants to disrupt things with their businesses. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa