ROYAL Bank of Scotland has appointed Chris Wilson, from insurer Direct Line, to lead the "continued recovery of the RBS brand" north of the Border.

Mr Wilson was unveiled yesterday as RBS's managing director for branch and private banking in Scotland.

He will report directly to Ross McEwan, who joined RBS as head of its UK retail banking division last August from Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Mr McEwan had, on Thursday, revealed his plans to appoint a managing director of RBS's retail banking business in Scotland.

Declaring this appointment would mean the Scottish retail banking operation would be represented at a more senior level within RBS, Mr McEwan said: "It has effectively been lower down in the organisation. Given Scotland is our heartland, it is our brand, it is the area that needs to be rebuilt over the next three years because of what has happened to the brand, I am putting in a senior executive in Scotland to take up that role."

At Direct Line, Mr Wilson had been commercial director with accountability for a portfolio of businesses including Green Flag breakdown assistance, home, life and travel insurance, and income protection products.

Before joining Direct Line, Mr Wilson held a number of senior roles within RBS Insurance. He will, in his new role, continue to be based in Edinburgh.

RBS now has a 48.5% stake in Direct Line, having floated the insurer on the stock market last autumn and sold down its holding further in March.

Commenting yesterday on Mr Wilson's appointment, Mr McEwan said: "Chris Wilson will lead the continued recovery of the RBS brand in Scotland – an important market for us."

RBS noted the appointment of Mr Wilson was subject to regulatory approval.

It meanwhile announced the appointment of Stuart Haire, who is based in Edinburgh, as managing director for direct distribution in its UK retail banking division. This post will cover the online, mobile internet and telephony channels, and include the bank's developing web-chat operation. Mr Haire will transfer from his role as chief risk officer for RBS's UK retail banking operations. RBS said Mr Haire, who will also report to Mr McEwan, would remain in his current role while interim arrangements were made for this post, or a permanent successor appointed.

Mr McEwan said: "Stuart Haire knows the retail bank inside out and will bring a wealth of experience to leading and developing our online, mobile and telephony channels."

On Thursday, Mr McEwan revealed that about 10% of Royal Bank of Scotland's UK branches were likely to be axed, with the institution considering any closure of the last bank in town on "individual merits".

RBS has about 300 branches in Scotland. It has around 2050 branches UK-wide, including 316 which it has been ordered to sell by the European Commission.

Commenting on the proportion of RBS's 1700-plus UK branches, excluding those being sold off, which might be closed, Mr McEwan said on Thursday: "I think probably around the 10 (per cent), possibly less than 10 (per cent). It is not big numbers."

And, highlighting scope to cut the size of retained branches, he said: "What I see is the size of a branch getting smaller because you are doing less transactions."

Mr McEwan has highlighted plans to invest in technology, and in more "points-of-presence" for customers in locations such as shopping malls and railway stations, including automated teller and cash-deposit machines. These plans form part of a £700 million, three-year investment programme by RBS in UK retail banking.

RBS now has more than two million UK customers carrying out retail banking activities on mobile devices, with this number having grown from zero only about 15 months ago.