Allen & Overy (A&O) has appointed banking partner and former managing partner contender Andrew Trahair as the first head of the firm's consulting and technology division, Advanced Delivery.

He will leave the firm's banking practice after almost 30 years to take charge of all aspects of the firm's main consulting and technology initiatives – including flexi-lawyering platform Peerpoint and tech innovation space Fuse.

Trahair has held a number of high-profile roles at the firm during his career, having been managing partner of the firm's Singapore office between 2001 and 2004, co-head of the global banking practice between 2008 and 2016, and having run as one of eight partners to succeed  Wim Dejonghe as global managing partner in 2016.

He made it down to the final four contenders, alongside finance partner Michael Castle and corporate finance partner Simon Black, both of who have since left the firm.

At the same time, financial institutions co-head Angela Clist is also taking a key role within the Advanced Delivery division, replacing long-serving partner Jane Townsend as head of the firm's Belfast Legal Services Centre.

While Townsend – who is retiring this May – was based full-time in Belfast, Clist will now divide her time between London and Belfast while also continuing in her position as co-head of the financial institutions group.

Global senior partner Wim Dejonghe said the seniority of the appointments "reflected the seriousness of our commitment to accelerate our level of investment in these areas".

A&O's advanced delivery division comprises six pillars in total: flexi-lawyering platform Peerpoint; the Legal Services Centre; a project management office; a legal technology division; Fuse; and aosphere – A&O's online subscriptions business.

Trahair and Clist's appointments come a week after former Peerpoint head Richard Punt left the firm. The firm said no direct replacement for Punt was being considered in the near future, with Peerpoint founder Ben Williams and Asia-Pacific head Carolyn Aldous appointed to co-lead the business.