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NS&I Seeks New CEO to Overhaul £3B Digital Transformation
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NS&I Seeks New CEO to Overhaul £3B Digital Transformation

WireByte Staff · June 11, 2026

The UK government-owned National Savings & Investments (NS&I) is searching for a new chief executive to lead its £3 billion digital transformation program, which has faced criticism and significant cost overruns. The successful candidate will oversee Project Rainbow, a modernization effort that has been described as a 'full-spectrum disaster'.

Key points

  • NS&I is seeking a new CEO to lead its £3 billion digital transformation program, which has experienced significant operational failings and cost overruns.
  • The program, known as Project Rainbow, has been criticized by Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, which branded it a 'full-spectrum disaster'.
  • The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing the program, which has seen costs balloon from £1.7 billion to £3 billion.
  • The new CEO will also inherit a troubled in-tray, including a scandal involving hundreds of millions of pounds in unclaimed funds owed to deceased customers.
  • The salary for the new CEO has been set at up to £220,000.

NS&I, the UK government-owned savings institution, is searching for a new chief executive to lead its £3 billion digital transformation program. The program, known as Project Rainbow, has been criticized by Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, which branded it a 'full-spectrum disaster' in February.

The committee's report highlighted significant cost overruns, with the program's costs ballooning from an original estimate of £1.7 billion to approximately £3 billion. The new CEO will be responsible for overseeing the program and addressing the operational failings that have been identified.

The search for a new CEO comes after the departure of former chief executive Dax Harkins, who left earlier this year amid a scandal involving hundreds of millions of pounds in unclaimed funds owed to the estates of deceased customers. The successful candidate will also inherit a salary of up to £220,000.

NS&I's 164-year history and 24 million customers are highlighted in the recruitment notice, but the organization is also wrestling with problems that extend beyond attracting deposits. The new CEO will face a challenging in-tray, but will also have the opportunity to lead the organization's modernization efforts and drive growth.

Sources

WireByte Staff — Editorial Team

The WireByte editorial team synthesises technology news from multiple primary sources, verifies the facts, and links every source. Articles are produced with AI assistance and reviewed under our editorial policy.