Standard Chartered has appointed former banking analyst and one-time critic of the bank, Manus Costello, as its Group Chief Financial Officer. This move concludes a months-long search for a successor following the unexpected departure of Diego De Giorgi. According to a statement, the 50-year-old Costello will assume the role with immediate effect, based in London. He joined Standard Chartered in 2024 as the Global Head of Investor Relations. Prior to this, he was involved in co-founding Autonomous Research and led its research coverage, which included Standard Chartered and its rival HSBC. This appointment elevates a well-known and outspoken figure directly into the bank's top executive ranks. Group Chief Executive Bill Winters, who hired Costello, described the analyst as "insightful and challenging" and mentioned having previously invited him to present critical views directly to the board. De Giorgi resigned unexpectedly in February to join Apollo Global Management. He was a key architect behind Standard Chartered's cost-cutting initiatives and had been viewed as a potential successor to Winters. At that time, Deputy Group CFO Peter Burrill was appointed to serve as the interim CFO. Regarding Costello's appointment, Winters stated, "As we move into the next phase of growth and focus on delivering our medium-term financial targets, this appointment will further benefit Standard Chartered." Concurrently, the bank has appointed Tanuj Kapilashrami as its Chief Operating Officer. She will continue to report to Winters.