CORPORATE heavyweight Robert Hough has been appointed chairman of the Cheshire Building Society.

The former solicitor has been a non-executive director of the Macclesfield-based mutual since 2002.

Mr Hough was chairman of the Manchester Ship Canal Company for 15 years, until 2002, and has developed his leadership experience from his role as deputy chairman of Peel Holdings for the last 17 years.

Originally from Urmston, Mr Hough also holds various non-executive directorships, including Alfred McAlpine and, Century Radio as well as being a governor of the University of Manchester and chairman of the urban regeneration company, New East Manchester.

Society

Mr Hough said: "The Cheshire is a great regionally-based building society with a national reach and over 400,000 members. It is also an exceptional brand and I am delighted to have been appointed as its new chairman."

Chief executive Karen McCormick added: "Robert is one of the most influential business personalities in the north west, having made a substantial contribution to the region."

Last month the Cheshire said it had received and rejected a takeover bid from the Portman Building Society.

It has had a tough 2006 so far. In March, the society disclosed that a suspected é10m property fraud had blown a hole in its annual profits because it had to make provisions for the hit.