Braddock steps down from Citi's no. 2 post.

NEW YORK - Richard S. Braddock unexpectedly resigned as president of Citicorp on Monday, an apparent casualty of the widespread problems plaguing the nation's largest bank.

The resignation ends a chapter in a meteoric career that took Mr. Braddock from product manager of Tang at General Foods to one of the nation's senior banking posts.

In a statement, Citicorp said the executive concluded that "his best contribution to the recovery of Citicorp's momentum has been realized and, accordingly, he wants to pursue new career opportunities."

Mr. Braddock, 50, was not available to comment. A company spokesman would not elaborate on Mr. Braddock's plans.

Will Not Be Replaced

When Mr. Braddock assumed the presidency in 1990, the post had been vacant since 1983. The company spokesman said Mr. Braddock will not be replaced, and his roles will be assumed by senior management.

Mr. Braddock was credited with transforming the consumer bank into a profit engine. Shortly before he was named president, Citicorp chairman John S. Reed said he expected consumer banking to soon contribute up to 75% of'company revenues.

However, consumer loan losses have mounted in the past year, reflecting a weak economy and an aggressive lending culture. A regulatory report recently ripped the mortgage loan department as rife with managerial inefficiencies.

"People who resign don't resign effective immediately," said an analyst who asked for anonymity. "Since Braddock was responsible for the consumer bank, he's the ultimate person responsible for the mortgage problems."

In January, the capital drained company reorganized its top ranks and named a six-person management team headed by Mr. Reed. Mr. Braddock was tapped to captain a broad task-force effort.

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