Fintech firm Revolut appoints Francesca Carlesi as CEO of UK unit

LONDON (Reuters) - British fintech Revolut has hired Francesca Carlesi as CEO of its UK division, the company said in a statement on Thursday, in the latest leadership shake-up for the firm which aims to become a "global financial super-app".

Revolut, which ranked as the UK's most valuable start-up when it was valued at around $33 billion in 2021, applied for a UK banking licence more than two years ago but is still awaiting approval.

Carlesi will be leading the entity within Revolut which has applied for that licence. She previously founded and ran another digital mortgage lender.

The company's financial accounts for 2022 are delayed for the second year running.

When its long-delayed 2021 accounts were published in March 2023, the auditor BDO LLP said it was not able to independently verify three-quarters of its 636 million pounds ($773.6 million) of revenue.

The warning drew scrutiny from UK regulators, causing further delays in the banking licence application. Revolut's chief financial officer, Mikko Salovaara, left in May.

($1 = 0.8221 pounds)

(Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft; Editing by Sinead Cruise and Jan Harvey)