Mr David Kingston, the recently retired Irish Life chief executive, is to become chairman of the board of the Irish Stock Exchange from July 1st. The board of the exchange announced yesterday that Mr Gerald Scanlan will complete his three-year term on June 30th.

The board members thanked him for his contribution to the negotiations on the separation from the London Stock Exchange in 1995 and to development strategies subsequently adopted by the Irish Stock Exchange. Mr Kingston has extensive experience in financial markets and is a former president of the Financial Services Industry Association.