Standard Life’s IT director has announced his retirement after 22 years of service at the insurance giant.

Keith Young will leave the company in December and is now searching for a replacement internally and externally to work alongside group operations director Marcia Campbell.

Five managers report directly to Young, including senior manager of IT strategy and governance Russell Irwin, senior manager of information systems (IS) Ralph Fairweather, IT delivery and support director Bill O'Day, director of IS business solutions Bill Birnie and senior manager of information systems Philip Medley.

Since joining the insurance company as an analyst in 1987, Young climbed the ranks within the information systems division and was appointed group IT director in April 2001.

Despite holding a degree in geography, Young has worked in IT throughout his entire professional life, with previous stints at Diageo and Bank of Scotland before joining Standard Life.