U.K. bank Barclays PLC (BCS) said Thursday that Richard Broadbent has been appointed deputy chairman, replacing Nigel Rudd who stepped down in April.

Broadbent was chairman of the bank's remuneration and board risk committees.

Barclays Chairman Marcus Agius said: "Richard Broadbent has served the Barclays board with distinction for the past six years and in his capacity as deputy chairman he will be able to add to the significant contribution he makes as senior independent director and chairman of the board HR and remuneration committee and the board risk committee."

Barclays said in January that Rudd had decided not to seek reelection and he stood down at the bank's annual general meeting in April. He had been a Barclays director for nearly 13 years.

Like other U.K. banks Barclays has been hit by the financial crisis, but by turning to foreign investors and through asset sales it has managed to sidestep government intervention.

In June it agreed to sell its Barclays Global Investors business to BlackRock Inc. (BLK) for $13.5 billion (GBP8.2 billion).

Barclays sought fresh capital three times in 2008. It raised GBP4.5 billion through a partial placement with Far East and Middle East investors, GBP701 million to help pay for the acquisition of Lehman Brothers Holding Inc.'s North America investment banking operations, and a GBP7.3 billion placement with Middle East investors.

Company Web site: www.group.barclays.com

-By Digby Larner, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 4017 1748; digby.larner@dowjones.com