HONG KONG (REUTERS) - Goldman Sachs Group has named veteran banker Ken Hitchner as its new chairman and chief executive officer in Asia Pacific excluding Japan, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Tuesday (Sept 19).

Hitchner, who joined Goldman's corporate finance department in 1991 and worked in different roles after that, is currently president of the bank in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Japan, said the memo.

In his new role, Hitchner will be replacing Mark Schwartz, who retired from the bank at the end of last year, after having worked at Goldman for 27 years.

The memo also announced the appointments of James Paradise and Todd Leland as co-presidents of the bank in the Asia Pacific, excluding Japan.

A spokesman for Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong confirmed the content of the memo.