AIB appoints new Chairman

AIB - Appointment of new Chairman

Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. ("AIB") [NYSE: AIB] announces the appointment of Mr. David Hodgkinson as Director and interim Executive Chairman, subject to regulatory approval. Mr. Hodgkinson will lead the Group through this difficult period and manage the process for the appointment of a Group Chief Executive.

Mr. Hodgkinson was Group Chief Operating Officer for and Member of the Group Management Board of HSBC Holdings plc from May 2006 until his retirement from the company in December 2008. Mr. Hodgkinson, who joined HSBC in 1969, has also served as Chairman of HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, HSBC Bank A S Turkey, Arabian Gulf Investments (Far East) Limited and HSBC Global Resourcing (UK) Ltd. He was a Director of HSBC Bank Egypt SAE, The Saudi British Bank, Bank of Bermuda Limited and HSBC Trinkaus Burkhardt. Other roles at the bank include Managing Director of The Saudi British Bank, and CEO of HSBC Bank Middle East Limited.

Since leaving HSBC, Mr Hodgkinson has been on the Advisory Board of PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the Advisory Board on Saudi Arabia for BAE Systems PLC, as well as lecturing on Banking at the Moller Centre, Churchill College Cambridge.

Speaking today, Mr. Hodgkinson said,"My objective is to work closely with all AIB stakeholders to tackle the serious challenges which confront the bank. We can take strength from the very strong franchise AIB enjoys in Ireland. Our success in this endeavour is important not only to the bank, but also in restoring Ireland's economic strength."

-ENDS-

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