Guy Whittaker, group treasurer of Citigroup, was today confirmed as successor to Fred Watt as group finance director of Royal Bank of Scotland. Sir Tom McKillop, chief executive of drug company AstraZeneca, was appointed to replace Sir George Mathewson as RBS' chairman.

Banking sources told Financial News last week that Whittaker, who has been at Citigroup for 25 years, was set to be appointed as finance director of RBS.