Richie Boucher to ease back from war footing as BoI loan book returns to growth

Bank of Ireland CEO Richie Boucher says he will ease back from his crisis-time style of leadership to give potential successors more control as the lender’s loan book returns to growth.

“We did take a deliberate decision during the tough times that I’d be the lightning rod” for public and political ire during the financial crisis, Mr Boucher, 56, said in an interview in Dublin on Wednesday. “I also had to be a shield.”

Since taking over as CEO six years ago, Zambian-born Mr Boucher shrank the lender’s balance sheet, shed jobs, and gave back €6bn to taxpayers after receiving a €4.8bn bailout.