Making its second top-rank appointment within a few days, France’s Societe Generale Private Banking has named Jean-Pierre Flais as chief operating officer.

Taking up the post immediately, Flais becomes a member of the executive committee and reports to Jean-François Mazaud and Patrick Folléa, respectively head and deputy head of Societe Generale Private Banking.

As COO, Flais is in charge of supervising the resources (IT, operations and transversal projects) and general secretariat teams.

Previously, Flais was deputy chief executive officer of Societe Generale Private Banking Hambros in London from 2007. His successor will be announced in due course, the bank said in a statement. Flais joined the Paris-listed banking group in 1986. During his career, he worked for the inspection department in Paris before becoming head of institutional investor relations in 1993, covering the UK, southeast Asia and Australia.

In 1997, he moved to London as finance director for Societe Generale’s investment banking arm, before becoming chief financial officer at Societe Generale Private Banking Hambros in 1998. He was appointed COO in 2003 and deputy chief executive officer in 2007 for the private bank in the UK.

A few days ago, the private bank named Yves Thieffry as its new chief executive for Switzerland. Thieffry has been deputy CEO of Societe Generale Private Banking since 2007. Before this he was chief operating officer for Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking, while before assuming this role in 2003 he had been head of human resources.