Mr Denis Casey, (above), the chief executive of the retail division of Irish Life has been appointed to the board of Irish Life and Permanent.

The appointment reflects the importance of the life and pensions business to the group "and the particular contribution which Denis has made in driving that business forward", said Mr Roy Douglas, the chairman of the group.

Mr Casey (40), has overseen the merger of Irish Life's retail operations with Progressive Life, the life subsidiary of Irish Permanent.