Barclays said on Wednesday that Alison Carnwath, head of the firm's compensation board committee, had resigned from the beleaguered bank, citing undisclosed personal reasons.
The departure of Ms. Carnwath is the latest shake-up at the firm after it admitted to participating in a campaign to manipulate a benchmark interest rate and agreed to pay about $450 million in fines. The firm's chairman, Marcus Agius, and chief executive, Robert E. Diamond Jr., have both stepped down amid ongoing inquiries into the firm's trading activities by authorities around the world.
Ms. Carnwath reportedly argued against granting Mr. Diamond a £2.7 million bonus earlier this year, according to The Telegraph, but failed to convince Mr. Agius and the rest of the board. The compensation plan prompted an investor revolt against the board, with a sizable number of shareholders refusing to support Ms. Carnwath's re-election.
“With regret I have concluded that I am no longer able to devote sufficient time to my role as a director of Barclays given my other commitments,†Ms. Carnwath said in a statement on Wednesday. “I would like to thank my colleagues on the board for their support and I wish Barclays continuing success in the future.â€
Her departure may mean that Barclays will have yet another high-level vacancy to fill, as it seeks both a new chairman and a new chief executive. Earlier this week, the firm's deputy chairman, Michael Rake, took himself out of the running.
This post has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: July 25, 2012
An earlier version of this article misspelled a name in two instances. It is Alison Carnwath, not Carnwatch.
