Royal Bank of Scotland lines up female interim chief financial officer for permanent role, reports

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) reportedly is on the cusp of shaking up the male-dominated boardrooms of the country’s biggest banks by naming interim chief financial officer (CFO) Katie Murray as its permanent head of finance.

The bank is waiting for approval by banking watchdog the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) before naming Murray as CFO, according to reports.

Sources told Sky News her appointment could be announced as early as next week, after several months of serving as interim replacement to outgoing Ewen Stevenson, who left the bank to join HSBC.

RBS refused to comment.

Murray is set to take up the post as RBS posts its healthiest financials since the 2008 financial meltdown.

The bank has undergone a 10-year restructuring process which saw it withdraw from a failed expansion overseas to focus on core UK markets.

But the focus on home soil means Murray will have her work cut out if Brexit prompts an economic downturn in the UK, with the bank more exposed than rivals such as Barclays and HSBC, who have more international operations.

She will report to RBS chief executive, Ross McEwan, who is widely expected to retire from his post in 2020.

Another senior executive at the group, Alison Rose, has been tipped to take up the role. Her appointment would be a significant milestone in UK banking, with women holding the two top jobs at a major lender.