Mr Martin Wilson is to take over as chief executive of the Ulster Bank Group in early 1998 when Mr Ronnie Kells retires.

In a number of senior management appointments announced yesterday Mr Martin Wilson, who is chief executive of Ulster Bank Markets, is to become group deputy chief executive from March 31st. Within about a year he will become chief executive of the group which has total assets of about £8 billion sterling, 4,500 employees, 110 branches in the Republic and 90 in Northern Ireland. Page 4