The finance director of troubled lender Metro Bank has left the company to take on the role of chief finance officer (CFO) at fintech Revolut.

The move comes after it was reported that the so-called British “tech unicorn” has started paying social media influencers to promote the company.

Nik Storonsky, founder and chief executive of Revolut confirmed that David MacLean had been appointed CFO and said he would help the bank prepare to launch in international markets. The appointment is subject to regulatory approval.

The change at Metro comes days after the bank said customers had pulled £2 billion (€2.1 billion) out of the lender this year following a major accounting error in January.

Muscled

The bank, which muscled on to Britain’s high streets in 2010, also posted an 84 per cent fall in half-year profit and said its founder Vernon Hill would stand down as chairman.

Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph reported that Revolut has introduced a new scheme which rewards “ambassadors” up to €36 for each new customer they talk into joining the bank.

A now-deleted blog post revealed the company was telling influencers they could earn up to £1,500 (€1,650) a month promoting Revolut to their followers.

Additional reporting: Reuters