Old Mutual considers Nedbank executive as finance chief -source

* Nedbank's Ingrid Johnson in running for Old Mutual role-source

* Johnson would be 10th female finance chief in FTSE 100

By Steve Slater

LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - Insurer Old Mutual isconsidering picking Nedbank executive Ingrid Johnson as its newfinance director, a person familiar with the matter said, whichwould see her join a small group of FTSE 100 firms witha female finance chief.

Johnson would become the 10th female finance director amongBritain's top 100 firms if appointed. She is currently managingexecutive of retail and business banking for Nedbank,one of South Africa's four largest banks. Nedbank is 52 percentowned by Old Mutual.

The appointment had not yet been finalised and so couldchange, the source said. Old Mutual's board is due to meet onWednesday before its first-quarter results and annualshareholder meeting on Thursday. A spokesman for the companysaid a new finance director had not yet been appointed.

Nedbank Chief Executive Mike Brown declined to comment whenasked by Reuters about Johnson following the bank's annualshareholder meeting in Johannesburg on Tuesday. Johnson couldnot immediately be reached for comment.

Old Mutual is headquartered in London but makes most of itsmoney in South Africa, aided by the contribution from Nedbank.

It has been looking for a new finance chief since announcingin December that Philip Broadley would step down. It saidBroadley would stay until a successor was found.

Johnson, 47, joined Nedbank in 1993 and has worked in anumber of roles. In 2005 she was appointed managing director ofNedbank business banking and joined the bank's executivecommittee in 2008. In 2009 she became managing executive ofretail and business banking.

Female finance chiefs at FTSE 100 firms include DeirdreMahlan at drinks maker Diageo, Maeve Carton at Irishbuilding materials company CRH and Karen Witts atretailer Kingfisher.

Other top-100 firms with female finance chiefs are BritishLand, Smith & Nephew, Burberry,Hargreaves Lansdown, Aggreko and Ashtead. (Additional reporting by Helen Nyambura in Johannesburg;editing by Keiron Henderson)