NatWest Group has wrapped up its senior leadership appointments for its new Venture Banking division with the hiring of Ruari Phillips as Head of Venture & Growth Finance. The move, announced on 23 February 2026, positions the bank to roll out a dedicated service in April that promises to reshape support for Britain’s fastest-growing venture-backed businesses.
Phillips joins from HSBC Innovation Banking, where he most recently led the Strategic Capital team, overseeing venture debt lending for companies across all growth stages.
His 13-plus years of experience span HSBC UK, Silicon Valley Bank, and Barclays, giving him deep expertise in structuring complex debt facilities, managing portfolios, and guiding founders from seed rounds through to successful exits.
Colleagues describe him as someone who combines technical precision with a genuine understanding of the pressures scale-ups face.
The appointment completes the top tier of the new division, which is headed by Jenny Edwards.
Under her leadership, NatWest has already recruited more than 20 specialist bankers with strong sector knowledge and investor networks.
The leadership core now features Greg Brown, appointed Head of Venture Capital in October 2025, and Kim Martin, recently named Head of Venture Banking Coverage.
Together, the team will deepen ties with venture capital and growth equity firms, ensuring their portfolio companies can tap the full range of NatWest’s products and expertise.
NatWest Venture Banking is designed from the ground up around the needs of ambitious founders and their backers.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the service will use a regional coverage model to deliver tailored advice on capital raising, international expansion, and the operational challenges that come with rapid scaling.
The focus will be on companies that have secured institutional funding in key innovation sectors—precisely the businesses expected to drive the UK’s future productivity and competitiveness.
Edwards said the goal is clear:
“To build tomorrow’s economy we must back today’s innovators with specialist support, real flexibility, and a banking partner that truly gets what scaling looks like. Ruari’s arrival strengthens our ability to deliver exactly that as we launch in April.”
Phillips echoed the sentiment, noting the bank’s “cast-iron commitment” to using its scale, customer base, and convening power to foster UK-wide innovation.
“I’m excited to help create a genuinely holistic venture banking proposition that supports founders and investors at every stage,” he added.
The timing aligns with NatWest’s broader “Growing Together” plan, unveiled earlier in February 2026.
The five-point strategy connects investment, specialist knowledge, and partnerships across the real economy to accelerate national growth.
Venture Banking forms a cornerstone of that initiative, targeting the high-potential segment of the economy that has historically looked overseas for banking partners.
Industry observers see the initiative as a significant statement of intent from one of the UK’s largest banks.
By assembling a professional team and launching a dedicated offering, NatWest aims to become the domestic enabler for venture-backed scale-ups—providing not just capital but the strategic guidance and networks needed to compete on the global stage.
With the April launch now weeks away and the leadership team fully in place, NatWest is poised to enter the venture banking space with capacity and a clear vision.