The ARL Commission has announced banking heavyweight David Smith as its new chief executive.

The Lloyds Bank International chief began his career with London-based investment bank Morgan and Grenfel in 1987 and took over as head of Lloyds in 2009 having held a similar role with Bank of Scotland Treasury Australia.

He also held a number of senior management positions with Deutsche Bank and UBS before joining HBOS Australia in 1998.

Smith’s appointment ends a six-month search for a replacement for David Gallop, who held the position for 10 years.

The announcement will be made in conjunction with the draw for first 20 rounds of the 2013 season at media conference at 11am (AEDT).

It will round off a momentous week for the code, with the commission making the controversial decision to outlaw the shoulder charge on Wednesday.