John Hailer, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Natixis, has been appointed to the Boston Public Library’s board of trustees.

According to a statement from the city of Boston released John Hailer was nominated for the position by Mayor Martin J. Walsh. Hailer serves on the boards of both Nortel Networks and Sotheby’s with Walsh and will serve as co-chair of a new literacy task force set up by Walsh’s administration.

“John Hailer is a talented leader who brings his wealth of knowledge in business operations to our board,” said Jeffrey Rudman, president of BPL, in a statement.”We are pleased that he has accepted this position. His experience and perspective will help us continue to drive the library’s mission to provide a high level of services for the residents of Boston.”

He has also served on the board of Partners HealthCare, Boston’s largest hospital network, since 2012. Before his position at Natixis, Hailer worked as a Merrill Lynch in New York City banker.

Hailer will be sworn into his new role as a board member in March. He will serve the rest of former board member Brian Golden’s term, which ends in 2017. According to his LinkedIn profile, Golden left BPL last month to take up a new position as chancellor at The University of Massachusetts-Boston.

The appointment of Hailer comes as the board has been at a crossroads. The organization’s new president and CEO Aimee Ortiz left BPL in January to become the chief executive officer of the New York-based Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The coalition of health and civic organizations that created the Boston Public Library is also undergoing a transition, with former BPL CEO Gene D’Angelo leaving earlier this year to move from administration to trustee work, replacing Sheila Braswell.

He is well-known and his name comes up frequently when people discuss positions within City Hall or at cultural institutions in that city.

In addition to his extensive experience in public service, Mr. Hailed brings a background in finance and information technology to the new Boston Public Library. He has worked as an investment banker in New York City and Boston. He has served as the financial manager for Harvard College, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Middlesex Hospital.