Hapoalim ex-chairman named Arison Investments CEO

TEL AVIV, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Former Bank Hapoalim (POLI.TA) chairman Dan Dankner will become chief executive officer of Arison Investments, the investment arm of Hapoalim's controlling shareholder Shari Arison.

Arison Investments CEO Efrat Peled will become chairman of the investment group, Arison said in a statement on Tuesday.

Dankner recently resigned as chairman of Israel's second-largest bank due to differences with the banking regulator over Hapoalim's appointment of a new CEO. [nLB653294]

"The change is due to her (Arison's) wish to accelerate the pace of development of the group in her ownership and focus her time on developing new initiatives in Israel and the world," the statement said.

Arison, Israel's richest woman, inherited billions along with her brother from their late father Ted Arison, who founded Carnival Corp (CCL.N), the world's biggest cruise ship operator.

Arison controls Housing and Construction HUCN.TA, Israel's biggest construction company.

She has also set up a company to invest in clean water projects and is a leading philanthropist in Israel. (Reporting by Tova Cohen; Editing by Hans Peters)