Boutique private bank Duncan Lawrie, which has been expanding its UK market footprint, has appointed a new chief executive.

Boutique private bank Duncan Lawrie has appointed Byron Coombs chief executive officer.

Coombs starts at the end of June, taking over from managing director Matthew Parden who leaves after 17 years.

“I look forward to  extending the bank's services to a wider audience. There is demand in the UK market for a private bank that focuses on transparency, value for money services and putting clients' interests first,” said Coombs in a statement.

Coombs left an executive role at RBS Wealth Management back in May 2012 and has since been a non-executive director at Deutsche Bank and Coutts. At RBS he was director of products and services for the Wealth Management division, with responsibility for client propositions across RBS's Coutts, Coutts International, Adam Bank and RBS International.

“We are proud to announce that someone of Byron’s calibre will be coming on board at Duncan Lawrie. His wealth of experience in leadership, banking, investment management and looking after clients will stand us in excellent stead for the future,” said non-executive director Peter Field.

Duncan Lawrie has been expanding rapidly over the past year, particularly in the West Country, culminating in May 2013 with the opening of a new office in Bristol’s historic Queen Square.

From its Bristol base, the firm provides client services across all areas within the southwestern region of England, including Somerset, Gloucestershire, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and South Wales.

The private bank targets clients with £500,000 ($841,000) to £5 million of investable assets and has some 4,500 clients representing around £700 million in assets.

Duncan Lawrie Private Banking is a wholly owned subsidiary of UK based Camellia. Its origins can be traced back to East India, where in the nineteenth century Walter Duncan and Alexander Lawrie were involved in tea estates