A woman walks past a Citibank logo displayed outside the Citibank Plaza in Hong Kong July 28, 2014. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc has appointed veteran Steven Lo as Asia head of its private banking business unit, replacing Bassam Salem who is retiring from that role in February, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

Lo joined Citi’s private banking business more than 26 years ago as an ultra-high networth banker in Vancouver, and moved to Asia in 2001 and has worked in different roles in the region since then, the staff memo sent on Friday showed.

A Citi spokesman in Hong Kong confirmed the content of the memo.