Financial services group Baft-IFSA has appointed Kathleen Gowin as interim president and chief executive officer.

Gowin will replace Donna Alexander who left the firm in October.

Gowin will be responsible for trade and payments on behalf of the company’s members worldwide and will serve until March 2012, or until a permanent president and chief executive officer has been named.

Before joining the group, Gowin managed several businesses within the Bank of America’s treasury management sales organisation.

Robert Davis, American Bankers Association executive vice-president says: “Kathleen has experience running a global sales team and building relationships with regulators and competitors alike. She served on the Baft-IFSA board since July of 2009 in such roles as co-chair of the North American council and on the membership committee and the governance task force.”