UK private bank Kleinwort Benson, which formally transferred to the ownership of RHJ International at the start of June, has appointed Mark Bright as managing director in Guernsey.

In his former career Bright was chief executive/country manager of of Ansbacher Group’s Channel Islands business. Prior to this, he was a managing director with MeesPierson Channel Islands, having first moved to Guernsey in 1993 when he joined Credit Suisse on the island.

Bright succeeds Sandra Platts, who is stepping down from her position as managing director over the next six months to pursue other interests. She had spent some 20 years with the company.

As part of his new role as Guernsey managing director Bright will head Kleinwort’s banking business unit and is charged will developing the firm’s banking business from its newly-centralised base on the island.

Kleinwort recently redefined its private wealth management, banking and private and corporate fiduciary units in a bid to increased its client focus and boost its further development, and as part of this strengthened the local managing director roles, with the heads of the newly-formed divisions also assuming the positions of UK, Guernsey and Jersey managing director respectively.