NatWest Group has announced the appointment of Emma Crystal as chief executive officer of its wealth business, including the private bank Coutts. subject to regulatory approval.

Crystal will join NatWest in the summer from UBS, where she currently works as lead, sustainable finance group.

She replaces Peter Flavel, who left Coutts last year following a row over the private bank’s closure of Nigel Farage’s accounts.

Crystal, who began her career in investment banking at Deutsche Bank, also previously held a number of senior roles at Credit Suisse, where she led their northern and western European wealth management business.

She will directly to chief executive officer Paul Thwaite and be a member of the executive committee of NatWest Holdings. She will also sit on the Coutts Board in her capacity as Coutts chief executive.

“Emma has all the qualities needed to take Coutts forward,” said Lord Remnant, chairman of Coutts. “Her knowledge and understanding of clients combined with her commercial experience make her the ideal person to help Coutts write the next chapter in our history. I would like to welcome Emma, on behalf of the Coutts Board, and am very much looking forward to working with her.”

In July last year, NatWest chief executive Alison Rose stepped down after admitting she gave inaccurate information to the BBC about the closure of Nigel Farage’s Coutts account. She missed out on around £7.6 million in bonuses following the review.

Peter Flavel, the chief executive of Coutts was dismissed just 48 hours after Rose’s resignation.

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