The board of French bank Credit Agricole said it has approved the appointment of Bruno de Laage as deputy chief executive alongside Jean-Yves Hocher and Michel Mathieu.

Mr de Laage takes up the role from 1 March for the division comprising the regional banks, LCL, international retail banking and payment systems and services. He has been a long-standing employee of the bank, joining Crédit Agricole de la Charente in 1978.

Mr Hocher, appointed as deputy chief executive in 2008, will, from 1 March, oversee the division comprising the group’s specialised business lines (CIB, asset management, insurance, specialised financial services, private banking and property).

He joined Fédération Nationale du Crédit Agricole (FNCA) in 1989 as director of banking, then CEO from 1997. In 2001, he was named CEO of the Charente Maritim-Deux Sèvres Regional Bank. In 2006, Mr Hocher became director of Crédit Agricole Assurances and CEO of Predica, the group’s life insurer. In May 2008, Mr Hocher was appointed as head of Specialised Financial Services.

Since 2008, he has also been joint deputy CEO in charge of the development of regional banks, payment systems and insurance division.

Mr Mathieu, who was recently appointed as deputy CEO, will assume responsibility from 1 April for the financial and strategic steering division (finances, human resources, information systems, strategy and economic research). Mr Mathieu joined Crédit Agricole in 1983.