Bank of Ireland is to submit a candidate for its new chief executive to the Central Bank of Ireland within weeks, with speculation mounting that the lender could appoint a woman to lead it for just the second time in its 240-year history.
Within banking circles Alicia Reyes Revuelta, a former head of Wells Fargo Bank in Europe, has emerged as a surprise contender to take over from Francesca McDonagh, who leaves the bank in September.
Myles O’Grady, the lender’s former chief financial officer who departed in September 2021 to join Musgrave, the Cork grocery wholesaler and retailer, was also approached about a speedy return to the bank and figured in the selection process.
Internal candidates Gavin Kelly, chief executive of retail banking, and Mark