Standard Life CEO to join RBS board

LONDON (Reuters) - Sir Sandy Crombie, the chief executive of insurer Standard Life <SL.L>, is to join the board of part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland <RBS.L>, the Daily Telegraph reported without citing sources.

Crombie will become the RBS's senior independent director, tasked with liaising between the bank and its biggest shareholders, who include the state with a 70 percent stake, the paper said.

RBS declined to comment.

In March, Standard Life said it would start looking for a successor to Crombie this year, but did not set a timeframe for a handover.

Crombie, who turned 60 earlier this year, has led Standard Life since March 2006, overseeing the group's conversion from a customer-owned mutual to a publicly listed company in July of the same year.

RBS is reconstituting its board after surrendering majority control to the government in return for a 20 billion pound emergency cash injection last October.

Crombie will take up his new role in July, the Daily Telegraph said.

(Reporting by Myles Neligan; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

Article Published: 21/05/2009