LHV Bank appoints former Starling lending executive as its next CEO
The lender to small businesses and property investors replaces interim leadership with an executive who ran lending growth at Starling from 2021, as it pushes to expand its loan book
- The appointment is subject to approval by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority
- Thompson has more than 35 years of banking experience and previously held a Senior Manager Function at Starling Bank
- Thompson and persons closely associated with him hold no shares in AS LHV Group
- LHV Group employs nearly 1,200 people and has more than 514,000 banking customers
LHV is handing its top job to a lender rather than a retail or payments specialist, which puts business borrowers and property investors at the center of the bank's next phase. For founders and finance directors who borrow from challenger banks, one of those lenders will be run by someone who built a loan book at a larger rival. The announcement sets out no plans for the bank's services to fintech companies, one of its three business lines.
“LHV Bank has strong foundations for its next phase of growth: advanced technology, the backing of a Group with a sustained record of profitable growth, and a clear ambition to expand its lending.”Damian Thompson, incoming chief executive, LHV Bank
LHV Bank, the banking subsidiary of Estonia's AS LHV Group, has appointed Damian Thompson as chief executive and executive director from 4 January 2027. He was in charge of lending at Starling Bank while its loans passed £5bn.
Thompson spent nearly 20 years at NatWest Markets before moving to Starling in 2021, and from 2023 he also ran its buy-to-let arm, Fleet Mortgages. He later took charge of Starling's banking products for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), along with its retail overdrafts and loans, according to Mortgage Solutions.
Once approved, the appointment will end a period of interim leadership. Erki Kilu, chief executive from January 2021, was recalled by the group's board in March and became chair of the management board of LHV Pank, the group's Estonian bank, from 1 April, Mortgage Solutions reported at the time. Kris Brewster, then the bank's director of retail banking, has led it on an interim basis since.
Besides lending to SMEs, the bank serves international fintech companies and retail customers. Its SME lending business began at the start of 2023 and has since lent more than £1bn to SMEs and property investors, the same outlet reported in September.
Sources
- AS LHV Group, “Damian Thompson to become Chief Executive Officer of LHV Bank Limited”, press release (GlobeNewswire), 12 October 2026. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/12/3378557/0/en/damian-thompson-to-become-chief-executive-officer-of-lhv-bank-limited.html
- AS LHV Group, “Damian Thompson to become Chief Executive Officer of LHV Bank Limited”, press release (GlobeNewswire, syndicated by The Manila Times), 12 October 2026. https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/10/12/tmt-newswire/globenewswire/damian-thompson-to-become-chief-executive-officer-of-lhv-bank-limited/2443446
- Mortgage Solutions, “LHV Bank hires Starling’s Thompson as CEO”, 12 October 2026. https://www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/specialist-lending/commercial-finance/2026/10/12/lhv-bank-hires-starlings-thompson-as-ceo/
- Mortgage Solutions, “Brewster named interim CEO of LHV Bank in board and management reshuffle”, 3 March 2026. https://www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/mortgage-news/2026/03/03/brewster-named-interim-ceo-of-lhv-bank-in-board-and-management-reshuffle/
- Mortgage Solutions, “LHV Bank passes £1bn SME lending milestone after 2023 launch”, 16 September 2026. https://www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/specialist-lending/commercial-finance/2026/09/16/lhv-bank-passes-1bn-sme-lending-milestone-after-2023-launch/
