Mark Tucker, the highly rated financial executive, has ended speculation over his future by accepting a boardroom post at HBOS nine months after he left Prudential.

Mr Tucker will join HBOS on April 30 ahead of taking over the role of finance director in October. He will succeed Mike Ellis, who is retiring after 17 years at the bank, the UK's biggest mortgage lender.

The appointment follows Mr Tucker's departure last June from Prudential, where he was credited with building up the insurer's Asian arm, which has more than £15 billion of funds under management. He was better paid than Jonathan Bloomer, the company's chief executive, and in 2002 earned £111,000 in allowances on top of an annual salary of £913,000.

The City has long awaited an announcement on Mr Tucker's future. Rumours last month that he was poised to join Legal & General were credited for a flurry of trades in the insurance company's shares.

James Crosby, the HBOS chief executive, said: "Mark's track record in leading and developing financial services businesses both in the UK and internationally is second to none and equips him to make a major contribution to our future success."

Mr Tucker said: "I shall really enjoy working with my new colleagues and contributing to the group's future development."

HBOS shares stood 16.5p higher at 742p in afternoon trade.

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