First National Building Society, has announced the appointment of Mr Richard Hoare as general manager with responsibility for retail banking. Mr Hoare (42) will join First National in January from Bank of Ireland where he is managing director of Bank of Ireland Finance. He will take over responsibility for the society's branch network, its brokers network and group marketing and direct sales.

The appointment follows the surprise departure last September of group operations director Mr Gerry Murphy and comes as the mutual society prepares for conversion and flotation on the stock market. In October the resignation of the managing director of the society's mortgage subsidiary in Britain, Mr Chris Heard, was announced.

There has been some reallocation of responsibilities internally at First National following the departures and in preparation for the flotation. Group deputy managing director Mr Tony Shanahan has added overall responsibility for retail banking to his existing responsibilities for the finance and treasury and the UK operations. Mr Hoare, who will report to Mr Shanahan, has not been appointed to the board.

Group operations director Mr Paul Reville has taken on personnel, training and group corporate communications in addition to his responsibilities for customer services, administration and premises.

In an internal announcement yesterday, staff were told that Mr Tom Shinkwin has been promoted to deputy general manager with responsibility for group strategy. He will report directly to group managing director Mr John Smyth. Mr Hoare has a marketing and sales background and has held a number of positions in the Bank of Ireland group. He was appointed general manager of Bank of Ireland Finance in 1996 after five years as general manager for group sales and marketing. In 1990 he was appointed retail sales director. In 1987 he was one of the four-man management team which set up Lifetime Assurance.

Before he joined Bank of Ireland, Mr Hoare was marketing director of Maguire and Patterson (1983-1987).

Announcing the new appointment, First National managing director, Mr Smyth, said Mr Hoare would bring "a depth of expertise and experience to the position".