N26 appoints Mike Dargan as new CEO

Berlin-based neobank N26 has announced a change in leadership: The Supervisory Board has appointed Mike Dargan, currently a member of the Management Board of UBS Group AG, as the new Chief Executive Officer of N26 Bank SE and N26 SE. Dargan is expected to take office at the beginning of April 2026. The appointment is still subject to approval by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).

Dargan succeeds the previous CEOs Maximilian Tayenthal, co-founder of N26, and Marcus W. Mosen, who most recently served as interim CEO.

Bank manager with a focus on technology and transformation

Mike Dargan has more than 25 years of international management experience in the areas of financial services, technology and digital transformation. Most recently, as Group Chief Operations and Technology Officer at UBS, he was responsible for large-scale digitalization and efficiency programs, among other things.

Prior to that, Dargan worked at Standard Chartered Bank as Chief Information Officer for Corporate and Institutional Banking and at Merrill Lynch as Managing Director and Head of Corporate Strategy in Asia and Europe. He began his professional career at the management consultancy Oliver Wyman.

Change of leadership in a sensitive phase

The change in CEO comes at a time when N26 continues to be under increased regulatory scrutiny by BaFin. In recent years, the financial supervisory authority has imposed extensive measures, including measures to strengthen the prevention of money laundering, internal control systems and governance structures. Some of these requirements are still in force and shape the company's strategic and operational framework.

Against this backdrop, the appointment of an experienced bank manager with transformation and regulatory expertise is of particular importance. The approval of BaFin is a formal prerequisite for taking office.

Founders hand over operational responsibility

With the change in management, co-founders Maximilian Tayenthal and Valentin Stalf are stepping back from operational responsibility. Tayenthal emphasized that N26 has developed into one of the hottest digital banks in Europe since it was founded in 2013. The company is in good hands with Mike Dargan for the next development phase.

The Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Andreas Dombret, also paid tribute to the foundations laid by the founders and highlighted Dargan's industry knowledge and management experience as decisive factors for the next phase.

Outlook: Stabilization and further development

With the planned assumption of office in spring 2026, N26 faces the task of reconciling growth, regulatory requirements and operational stability. The change in leadership is therefore also seen as a signal to align the bank more closely with traditional banking standards while continuing to develop the digital aspirations of the business model.