Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) chief executive June Butler has quit the €300,000-a-year role to return to Bank of Ireland for a senior position.
Ms Butler has been rehired by the country’s largest domestic bank by assets to become head of corporate and SME banking. Bank of Ireland executive Michael Lauhoff had previously held the position before he became head of specialist banking, making him responsible for areas spanning property and construction, infrastructure and international leverage finance.
The role had been held on an interim basis since then by Kevin Baxter.
A spokesman for the bank confirmed Ms Butler’s appointment in a statement in response to questions from The Irish Times on Wednesday.
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Ms Butler originally joined Bank of Ireland in 2003 from PwC and ultimately became head of its then so-called SME banking and sectors business. She left four years ago to join SBCI, which had been set up by the Government under the aegis of the National Treasury Management Agency in 2014. It avails of both national and European funding and other supports for the purpose of making low-cost, longer-term credit available to Irish SMEs.
The SBCI has deployed more than €4 billion to more than 60,000 businesses to date through a network of 40 lending partners, including mainstream banks, non-banks and credit union.
The agency also administered certain Government supports for businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, including its €2 billion credit guarantee scheme.
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“We are delighted to welcome June back to Bank of Ireland. Her deep expertise in SME and corporate banking, combined with a strong track record in strategic delivery and stakeholder engagement, will be invaluable as we continue to grow and support our corporate and business customers across all sectors,” said John Feeney, chief executive of Bank of Ireland’s corporate and commercial banking division in the statement.
“At a time when businesses are facing challenges on multiple fronts, from global market volatility to the accelerating pace of technological change and the growing imperative of sustainability, her leadership will be key to helping our customers navigate complexity, adapt with confidence and seize new opportunities.”
In her new role, Ms Butler will lead a team of 200 colleagues serving the needs of 3,000 companies across the island of Ireland, the bank said. She will oversee relationships with private businesses, multinationals, and publicly quoted companies, as well as leading our foreign direct investment team.
