Citigroup’s country officer and head of banking for China Luke Lu is departing after being in the role for less than a year.
Lu, who was appointed in late January, is leaving for personal reasons and the bank has started the search for his replacement, a Citi spokesperson said in an emailed response to queries from Bloomberg News.
In the interim, Howard Yang, China head for treasury and trade solutions, will be acting president of Citibank (China), Citi’s locally incorporated entity in the country.
Aveline San, chief executive officer and banking head for Hong Kong and Macau, will be acting country officer and banking head for China.
Lu, a Citi veteran with over two decades of banking experience, took on the top China job after his predecessor Christine Lam retired. He joined the bank in 2002 in Shanghai and held various senior leadership roles across corporate and commercial banking.
China remains an “important part” of Citi’s global network and growth plans, and the bank will continue to invest in its business there, the spokesperson added.
