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(Updates sourcing, adds company spokeswoman's comments)
May 29 (Reuters) - Lloyds Banking Group has hired afemale partner from KPMG to head its audit operations as part ofits drive to increase the number of senior female executives atthe state-backed group.
Mary Hall will be the second-most senior woman at thebanking group when she takes up the role of group audit directorin September, said Heather Scott, a spokeswoman for Lloyds.
The appointment will help the bank towards its self-imposedtarget of having women in 40 percent of its top 8,000 posts by2020, compared with 28 percent now. Lloyds has a target of 29percent by the end of this year.
Its most senior female employee is Alison Brittain, who runsLloyds' retail banking operations.
Hall will report to Nick Luff, who chairs Lloyds' auditcommittee and is a non-executive director of the group, Scottsaid in an emailed response to questions. (Reporting by Karen Rebelo and Aashika Jain in Bangalore;Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Robin Paxton)
