David Thorburn, the former chief executive of Clydesdale Bank, has been recruited by accountant EY as a global independent non-executive.

He stepped down after four turbulent years leading the Clydesdale in early 2015, in advance of the bank’s planned flotation.

Mr Thorburn was appointed last year to the board of the Prudential Regulation Authority, where he works on issues affecting PRA-regulated banks and insurers and issues concerning policyholder protection, EY said.

He is a former chairman of the CBI in Scotland and President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland.

Steve Varley, EY’s UK chairman, said: “David will sit on the Global Governance Council, our top governance body, and will also have UK specific responsibilities as required by our main UK regulator, the FRC.”