National Bank has announced the retirement of Rejean Levesque, executive vice-president of personal and commercial banking.

Levesque will be retiring on October 31, 2012, and Diane Giard, currently executive vice-president of marketing, will be his successor.

These changes are part of National Bank’s rigorous succession planning process, and are intended to help pursue its ‘one client, one bank’ transformation.

Levesque joined the bank in 1988 and held a number of management positions. He has also been a member of the bank’s office of the president since February 2008, and was appointed chair of the Executive Council of the Canadian Bankers Association in May 2010.

“Rejean Levesque [played a] key role in the Bank’s success. He [brought] about major organizational changes and remained constantly attuned to his employees and the needs of clients,” said Louis Vachon, president and CEO.

Diane Giard joined the company and the bank’s office of the president in September. She has over 30 years’ experience in the banking industry, most notably as senior level management at Scotiabank.