Huntington Bancshares, the full-service bank and investment management provider, has appointed Helga Houston as chief risk officer to replace Kevin Blakely, who is set to retire. 

Houston brings 30 years of diversified banking experience to her new role, where she will specialize in risk management strategies for wealth and investment management, corporate and investment banking, and commercial real estate finance. Prior to this post, she was a partner at Phoenix Global Advisors and held several executive roles at Bank of America. She reports directly to Stephen Steinour, the chairman, president, and chief executive of Huntington. 

Blakely will retire by the end of the year, after nearly 40 years in banking and three years at Huntington, including a period rebuilding the bank in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

The appointment comes just a few weeks after the hire of Marita Grobbel from Northern Trust as Huntington's new senior trust officer in Southeastern Michigan.