LONDON - HSBC has appointed Julian Wentzel as head of global banking for its Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) business, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Wentzel will be based in Dubai and a search is ongoing to find a successor for his previous role as head of global banking for the UK business, the memo said.

A spokesperson for HSBC confirmed the contents of the memo.

Wentzel succeeds Gareth Thomas, who is taking up a new role as chief risk officer for the MENAT region, the memo said.

(Reporting by Lawrence White, editing by Iain Withers)