Agribusiness appointment

CLYDESDALE and Yorkshire Banks have appointed James O'Mahony as their new head of agribusiness.

An experienced banker with a background in farm and rural business management, he replaces David Douglas, who became a divisional director of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks in November last year.

O'Mahony is already well known to many of the banks' customers, having previously spent five years with Clydesdale Bank in the south of England. He takes up his new role on 24 May, following a period as commercial director with Barclays in the City of London.

"James' arrival is a significant appointment for us and for our many farming and rural business customers," said Douglas, who led the bank's agribusiness growth for the last five years.

"We increased lending to the agricultural sector by 16 per cent during the 12 months to 30 September, 2009, with strong growth in the six months since then. These figures represent a substantial increase in market share, creating a tremendous platform for further growth."