Business news in brief: RBS | BNP Paribas | Triodos | Semple Fraser

JOE MacHale, the last director at Royal Bank of Scotland to have worked with former chief executive Fred Goodwin, is stepping down from the board.

He is expected to remain as a non-executive director until the company’s annual general meeting in May.

Philip Hampton, RBS chairman, thanked him and said he was “particularly grateful to Joe for providing valuable continuity to the board over a challenging period”.

Car production slips back into neutral

Car production levels fell back slightly last month, according to industry figures released yesterday.

A total of 137,458 cars were made in the UK in February 2013 – a 0.7 per cent dip on the same month last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

However, the decrease should be measured against the fact that the February 2012 total was 26 per cent up on February 2011.

BNP Paribas hires trio in Edinburgh

BNP Paribas Real Estate has appointed Nadir Khan-Juhoor director and head of the Edinburgh office and Marcus Weurman as associate director, both from Knight Frank where they have worked together for five years. Michael Harkin will be joining the office as a senior surveyor in the rating team.

The firm’s head of Scotland, Gavin Willins, said: “It is an exciting time for the company in Scotland.”

‘Ethical’ lender hits £500m milestone

THE amount of cash that Dutch bank Triodos has lent to “sustainable” British businesses and charities has broken through the £500 million mark.

The self-proclaimed “ethical” lender, which chose Edinburgh as the location for its first branch outside its UK head office in Bristol in 2006, increased the value of its loan book by 15 per cent to £486m during 2012 and has now surpassed the £500m barrier.

Ex–Semple Fraser associate is hired

LAW firm Anderson Strathern has hired another lawyer from collapsed rival Semple Fraser.

Sarah Baillie, who has worked on a series of high-profile projects including the London 2012 Olympic Park, joins the firm’s planning and environment team as a senior associate in its Glasgow office.

Earlier this month, Anderson Strathern snapped up a trio of lawyers from Semple Fraser’s banking and finance team.