Established in 2010, Metro Bank was the first high street bank to open in the UK in more than 100 years. Its aim was to disrupt a space that has historically been dominated by the ‘big six’ lenders: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, Nationwide, NatWest and Santander UK.
After years of operating losses and challenges, including a costly branch-centred business model and an accounting scandal in 2019, Metro Bank received a last-minute rescue in early October by Jaime Gilinski Bacal, a Colombian billionaire who has secured a majority stake in the business.
