Bank of Ireland has poached Santander's Niamh De Niese to take on the newly-created position of chief digital and architecture officer.
De Niese will focus on the bank's digital strategy as it embarks on a transformation of its systems and IT architecture. She will also work on possible uses of emerging technologies and how these may influence future investments.
De Niese joins from Santander UK where she most recently held the position of chief digital officer. Before that, she worked at Barclays and BNY Mellon and spent nearly 10 years at Visa, including as director of its technology innovation labs.
At Bank of Ireland, she will report to Group COO Ciarán Coyle, who says: "Developing stronger relationships with our customers, and a simpler business, are core to our strategy. Continuous digital investment, innovation and change plays a crucial role in this strategy.
"I’d like to welcome Niamh to Bank of Ireland and I am sure that her deep industry experience and knowhow will be a major benefit to our colleagues, customers and shareholders as we continue to invest in enhanced digital solutions."