Bank of Ireland has announced changes to its senior management team with Des Crowley, the head of its retail bank, and Richie Boucher, head of corporate banking, taking on new roles.

Mr Crowley is to succeed Roy Keenan, the head of Bank of Ireland's UK financial services, from January 1st 2006.

Mr Keenan, who will retire in March 2006, will return to Dublin to work on a number of group projects before he departs.

Mr Boucher will take over Mr Crowley's role, heading the group's retail financial services division. He will also join the bank's executive committee, the team that works with chief executive Brian Goggin.

Announcing the changes yesterday, Mr Goggin said he was confident that they would both bring great energy and leadership to the group's growth strategies in its core Irish and UK markets.

He said Mr Crowley had led a major programme of change in its retail business in Ireland. Mr Crowley joined the group in 1988 from Arthur Andersen and was appointed to his current position in 2004, having previously held a number of senior management positions. Mr Boucher, who joined Bank of Ireland in December 2003 from Royal Bank of Scotland, has implemented a significant restructuring of its corporate banking business. He had been regional managing director of RBS corporate banking in London and previously he held senior roles at Ulster Bank.

Mr Goggin also paid tribute to Mr Keenan. "Our business in the UK has been transformed under his leadership and contributes 28 per cent of group profits."

Mr Keenan has been in the UK division since 2003 and restructured that business.