Ex-Clydesdale boss David Thorburn joins EY council

David Thorburn will sit on EY's global governance council. Picture: Dan Phillips

David Thorburn, the former chief executive of Clydesdale Bank, was today named as a global independent non-executive director at EY.

The accounting giant said that Thorburn, who also sits on the board of the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority, will serve on its global governance council and have UK-specific responsibilities as required by the corporate governance watchdog, the Financial Reporting Council.

EY’s UK chairman, Steve Varley, said: “He brings a wealth of experience and his appointment will challenge us appropriately to ensure our overall governance is of the highest standard. David will contribute to the way we run our business and help strengthen stakeholder dialogue and confidence.”

Thorburn, a former chairman of the CBI in Scotland, stepped down from the top job at Clydesdale at the start of last year. He joined the Glasgow-based lender – spun off in February by National Australia Bank – in 1993 and was appointed to the executive leadership team in 2002, before becoming chief executive in 2011.

Clydesdale, which also owns the Yorkshire Bank brand, is now led by David Duffy, previously the boss of Allied Irish Banks.