ABC International Bank (ABCIB) has restructured its management team in London.

William Playle has been appointed as chief executive officer, succeeding Nofal Barbar who has retired from the bank.

Playle has been with ABCIB, the UK subsidiary of the Arab Banking Corporation (ABC), since May 2002 and was formerly deputy chief executive officer. Before this, he held senior positions in business, risk and general management functions, primarily within the Barclays group.

Additionally, Paul Jennings and Alexander Ashton have been appointed as joint deputy chief executive officers.

Jennings will remain head of global trade finance for ABC in addition to his new duties, which now extend to all of ABCIB’s business lines, including project and structured finance and Islamic banking.

Ashton has been the general manager of the bank’s Paris branch since joining in 2003. He previously held senior management roles at Lloyds Bank, both overseas and in the UK.

ABCIB chairman, Hassan Juma, says: “ABCIB will continue to play a critical role in ABC’s development, and it is a very positive sign that we have been able to fill these important posts internally. Bill possesses tremendous knowledge of our products, clients, people, the European market and of ABC itself.”