Buckley announces changes at AIB

AIB's incoming chief executive, Mr Michael Buckley, has made further additions to his new senior management team.

The bank has announced that from June its finance director, Mr Gary Kennedy, will become managing director of a new division, AIB group technology and e-business. The division will be responsible for the investment, development and implementation of the group's information technology and e-business strategy. AIB invests around €400 million (£315 million) in this sector annually. Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Mr Kennedy said his new role would also involve securing strategic alliances for the group's products and services in the Republic, UK, US and Poland. Mr Kennedy will remain a member of the AIB group board and the group executive committee that runs the bank.

In a new departure, the bank will not appoint a group finance director. This role will be shared between Mr Con O'Sullivan, who is currently first vice-president of Polish subsidiary, Wielkopolski Bank Kredytowy, and the group's chief financial officer, Mr Declan McSweeney.

Mr O'Sullivan will become head of a new group finance and corporate services department. It will include AIB group financial control, group taxation, group corporate development, the group law agent's office and the office of group secretary. Mr O'Sullivan will also become a member of the group executive committee.

Mr Eugene Sheehy, general manager of the bank's retail operations moves up to become managing director of AIB Bank in the Republic, replacing Mr Kevin Kelly who will retire in June. Mr Aidan McKeon, who is general manager of AIB's UK operations will become managing director of a new UK division incorporating AIB's business in Britain and First Trust Bank in Northern Ireland. Mr Sheehy and Mr McKeon join the group executive committee, which will be chaired by Mr Buckley who will become group chief executive in June.

The other members of AIB's executive team are Mr Frank Bramble, chief executive of the bank's US division; Mr Gerry Byrne, who was recently appointed to replace Mr Buckley as head of its Poland division; Mr Colm Doherty, managing director of AIB Capital Markets; Mr Mike Lewis, head of human resources; and Mr Pat Ryan, AIB Group treasurer.

Mr Buckley said the new team included the right mix of skills and experience to enable the bank to build on the achievements of outgoing chief executive Mr Tom Mulcahy.