How Chase UK’s New CEO Could Build on Financial Growth

Monzo Chief Banking Officer Kunal Malani has been named as Chase UK’s CEO, following the announcement of Senior Executive Kuba Fast’s departure in February 2026.

Kunal is set to begin his role at Chase UK in the coming months, succeeding Kuba, who has led the company since May 2024.

Announcing his plans to lead Chase UK in a LinkedIn post, Kunal says: “After an incredible six-year journey at Monzo, I've decided it’s time for a new adventure.

“I’m thrilled to share that I will be stepping into the role of Head of Chase UK, CEO JPMEL [JP Morgan Europe Limited] in the coming months.”

Kuba announced plans to step down from the CEO role earlier this year after being appointed as Revolut’s newest CEO, a role he is expected to transition to sometime in mid 2026.

Discussing his departure, Kubal said in a February post on LinkedIn: “After seven years, my time at Chase is coming to an end. It’s been a once-in-a-lifetime adventure: building a bank from a PowerPoint slide to an institution serving millions of customers in the UK.

“Chase is destined to achieve great things in the UK and across Europe, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the team.”

Rapid growth in Europe

Kunal first joined Monzo in 2020, following a one-year stint at Tandem, and previously held senior positions at HSBC, Barclays and General Electric.

In a company statement, Chase says it looks forward to “benefitting from Kunal’s leadership and deep consumer banking experience” as it works toward its “vision of becoming the leading primary bank and investment partner across Europe.”

Under Kunal’s six-year leadership, Monzo grew rapidly, reaching 15 million customers and expanding its product offering to meet a broader set of customer needs, the statement adds.

In his LinkedIn post, Kunal says: “Leaving such a talented team is never easy. I am immensely proud of what we’ve built together at Monzo. 

“To everyone who worked alongside me during this chapter: thank you. It has been an unforgettable ride, and I’ll be cheering you on as you continue to make money work for everyone.”

Kunal’s departure comes at a notable time for Monzo.

Earlier this year, Diana Layfield replaced TS Anil as group CEO, while earlier this month, the company announced plans to exit the US market to focus on its core operations in the UK and Europe.

Building on market momentum

Kuba will join Revolut as CEO later this year, subject to approval, succeeding outgoing CEO Joe Heneghan.

In the role, he will oversee operations in Eastern Europe from Revolut’s Lithuanian banking hub.

The hub serves as a key base for Eastern Europe, while Revolut runs a dual-headquarters model in the European area, with Paris managing Western European markets including France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Portugal.

Kuba brings experience from JPMorgan, Poland’s mBank and McKinsey, and his appointment highlights Revolut’s ambitions in Europe, where it serves around 40 million customers, representing roughly 73% of its global user base.

Discussing his succession and the next steps for the company after Kuba’s departure, Kunal says: “Looking ahead I’m joining JPMorganChase to lead Chase UK at a pivotal moment in its growth.”

“Having recently surpassed 3 million customers and been named Moneyfacts’ Banking App of the Year for the third year running, the momentum is amazing. 

“I couldn’t be more excited to lead this team through the next phase, delivering an ambitious roadmap of new products for customers.”