Chris Pilling, currently head of branch network at HSBC Bank plc, will become the new chief executive of the Yorkshire Building Society.

He will join the Society on 31 December 2011 and will take over from current chief executive Iain Cornish who announced his intention to step down in February of this year.

Ed Anderson, chairman of Yorkshire Building Society, said: “Chris Pilling is an excellent appointment for Yorkshire Building Society. The Yorkshire is one of the UK’s strongest financial institutions and recent merger and acquisition activity has further strengthened its position.