Bank of Ireland's court of directors is expected to announce the appointment of a new chief executive within days, with senior executives Mr Brian Goggin and Mr Des Crowley believed to be the front runners.
The move follows the shock resignation of Mr Michael Soden on Saturday after he was found to have accessed an Internet site that had links to material of an adult nature that breached the bank's Internet policy.
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Mr Soden said he very much regretted what had happened. "It was a silly incident. It was unfortunate and I am paying a very high price for it. It was a case of curiosity killed the cat."
His resignation followed a meeting with the bank's governor, Mr Laurence Crowley, on Friday and was accepted by its directors the following day.
In a statement to be issued to the Stock Exchange this morning, the governor says it is the court's intention to immediately put in place arrangements for the appointment of a successor. The bank will be keen to have a smooth transition to reassure investors, with the news of Mr Soden's departure reported internationally.
Mr Soden's visit to the website with links to adult material was uncovered during an audit of the bank's computer systems. Mr Soden said he only accessed the site on one day, April 2nd. The audit by the bank covered Internet accesses on that day. The governor subsequently ordered an audit of those findings and raised the matter with Mr Soden last Friday. Saturday's announcement of his departure followed queries from the Sunday Business Post.
Mr Soden is understood to have visited the www.lasvegas-escorts.com site before a visit to the US. The trip never took place.