Standard Life reignited speculation about its future leadership yesterday when it appointed a highly-experienced deputy to the finance director David Nish.

STANDARD Life reignited speculation about its future leadership yesterday when it appointed a highly-experienced deputy to the finance director David Nish.

Jackie Hunt has been drafted in to the new post of deputy finance director from the job of chief finance officer of Norwich Union Insurance, one of Standard's biggest UK rivals. She will take over key functions including external financial reporting, performance management, taxation, and Standard's shared services in finance, leaving what is said to be a "strategic" role for Nish.

The former ScottishPower finance supremo is seen as one of the two internal candidates to succeed chief executive Sandy Crombie, 59, though no date has been set for Crombie's retirement.

Paul Keeble at Standard Life commented: "It is a key appointment for us. Clearly David has got a lot on his plate, the role of deputy frees David up to focus more on the strategic development of the finance function on the group's strategic direction."

Nish would also retain responsibility for risk management.

Trevor Moss, insurance analyst with MF Global, commented: "Nish is one of the names in the frame for succession along with external candidates and maybe one other internal candidate. A reading that says he might be in line for the CEO's job is not an unreasonable one."

Moss said of Nish: "He has done a very good job, and having worked his way through some pretty aggressive accounting issues over the last couple of years, having someone to do some of the day-to-day accounting work while he spends his time on a bit more of a wider role makes sense. Standard is at the point where it needs to spend less time looking at its numbers and more time at its strategy."

Keeble responded: "This certainly is not around succession planning of other group functions, it is about allowing David to move his thinking on and improve the strength of the finance division."

On the quality of the appointee, Keeble said Hunt had the breadth and depth of industry experience required and "a great overview". But he added: "Every successful business has a succession plan but that is not to say that Jackie Hunt has got her eye on the group finance director's job."