Bank of Ireland has reshuffled its senior management team and amalgamated its banking operations in Northern Ireland and Britain.
The bank has appointed Mr John Collins (53) and Mr Des Crowley (40) to chief executive positions with responsibility for its retail operations in the Republic. The appointments take effect from next month ahead of the retirement of Bank of Ireland's deputy chief executive, Mr Pat McDowell, who currently oversees its retail operations.
Mr Collins will become chief executive of Bank of Ireland's retail businesses in the Republic while Mr Crowley becomes chief executive of the bank's retail banking and distribution operations. Both chief executives will report to Mr McDowell until he retires in March. After his departure, they will report directly to group chief executive, Mr Maurice Keane.
The two men now join the bank's primary senior executive team from which Mr Keane's successor is likely to be drawn ahead of his retirement in 2001. This team includes Mr Brian Goggin, who heads the bank's corporate and treasury division; Mr Jeff Warren, chief executive of its British building society Bristol & West; Mr Paul D'Alton, group chief financial officer, and Mr Denis Hanrahan, head of group corporate development.
Mr Collins joined the bank in 1965 and is responsible for Bank of Ireland Finance, Lifetime Assurance, New Ireland Assurance, credit cards and electronic banking. He is a past president of the Irish Bankers' Federation.
Mr Crowley moves from the bank's retail finance and strategy division. A management consultant, he joined Bank of Ireland in 1988 from Arthur Andersen.
The bank has also announced the amalgamation of its banking operations in Northern Ireland and Britain. The merged division will be managed by Bank of Ireland's general manager in Northern Ireland, Mr Gerry McGinn.
Other executives on the move within the bank are Mr Kevin Flanagan, the former director of human resources at Bristol & West who becomes head of group human resources, and Mr John Clifford, who moves to the group chief executive's office to lead a group-wide cost effectiveness programme.
