AIB chief seeks fresh challenges

AIB chief executive Michael Buckley is actively looking for business opportunities to share his skill and experience with developing companies when he leaves his post at the end of June.

Yesterday, in a surprise move, AIB announced that Mr Buckley would be stepping down from his €1.4m a year post at the end of June, when chief executive designate Eugene Sheehy will take over at Ireland's biggest bank by market capitalisation. Speaking earlier this year at the UCC economic conference Ireland's Economic Odyssey Mr Buckley told delegates that he was looking for companies with good business ideas with a view to becoming involved when he was no longer chief executive of AIB.

The former civil servant, who was scheduled to go in February of next year when he hits 60, is obviously intent on remaining in business after a hectic period at the helm in AIB.