Russell Collins has been appointed chairman of the Financial Services Practitioner Panel.

He has served on the Panel for over five years and is a partner at Deloitte LLP, the business advisory firm.

Collins succeeds Iain Cornish who has stepped down from the chairmanship as he prepares to leave Yorkshire Building Society.

There has also been a series of new appointments to the Panel. These consist of Graham Beale, chief executive of the Nationwide Building Society Joe Garner, head of UK retail bank and deputy chief executive, HSBC Bank plc Paul Geddes, chief executive, RBS Insurance and John Pollock, group executive director, protection and annuities, Legal & General.

Also appointed to the Panel earlier this year were Mark Harding, group general counsel, Barclays Bank PLC and Colin Grassie, chief executive officer, Deutsche Bank UK.

Hector Sants, the FSA’s chief executive, said: “I am pleased that Russell has agreed to chair the Practitioner Panel. His background in professional services working with firms from all sectors of the industry is helpful during this time of change in the regulation of financial services