Ruwani Hewa has been appointed director of payments at UK digital challenger Starling Bank.

Confirming the news on LinkedIn, Hewa said one of her key initial priorities will be the “relaunch of Starling Banking Services.”

She explained that this initiative will aim to support regulated firms in accessing Faster Payments and Bacs, as well as issuing safeguarded and client money accounts under the CASS framework.

Originally launched in 2017 as Starling Payment Services, Starling Banking Services operates a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform that provides the bank’s payments infrastructure and services to financial institutions, fintechs, and businesses.

The reference to a “relaunch” suggests that Starling, now under the leadership of group CEO Raman Bhatia, is planning to update, expand, or reposition the unit, though further details of its strategy have not yet been disclosed.

Starling also runs Engine by Starling, its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, which is undergoing a US$50 million expansion into the United States.

The bank recently appointed Jaideep Bhagat as president of North America to lead the effort.

Hewa joins Starling from Nuapay, where she has served as product and propositions director since January 2022, overseeing account-to-account and embedded payment products.

Her career also includes technology-focused roles at American Express, Barclaycard, Collinson, and Amadeus, where she was head of product management and merchant services for Amadeus Payments.

In a statement to FinTech Futures, a Starling spokesperson said:

“Ruwani Hewa has been appointed to lead Starling’s payments function and help us better serve customers and partners. She will also oversee the growth of Starling Banking Services, the group’s BaaS proposition, which complements our SaaS business, Engine by Starling.”

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