Citicorp, in the latest of its management centralization moves, has promoted two senior executives to new posts and bestowed a high-ranking title on a third.
James R. Stojak will be executive vice president in charge of global consumer fulfillment. Bob Khanna will be senior vice president for corporate planning.
Brian Ruder, who joined the company in March from H.J. Heinz Co., was officially named executive vice president in charge of brand development.
Analysts said the appointments, announced Tuesday, had been anticipated since a broader management realignment was announced in April.
The moves are further evidence of Citicorp's changeover from a high degree of decentralization to a more coordinated approach to managing customer relationships across the corporate and consumer banking units, analysts said.
"The company is redefining itself," said Arthur P. Soter, an analyst at Morgan Stanley & Co. "They are saying that they are really running a global business, and to do that they want to centralize as much as they can."
Mr. Stojak, 50, who is credited with the successful integration of Citicorp's European and North American credit card operations last year, is heading a function in which he had "acting" status since April.
He will be responsible for the integration of the operating and computer platforms that support the bank's products and services globally, said a spokesman.
Mr. Stojak will report to two executive vice presidents: William I. Campbell, head of global consumer banking since April's management realignment; and Mary Alice Taylor, the head of global operations and technology, who joined Citicorp in January from Federal Express Corp.
Mr. Khanna takes over the corporate planning function from Shaukat Aziz, an executive vice president who in April was named head of private banking. He will report to Citicorp chairman John S. Reed.
Mr. Khanna, 40, was most recently managing director in global corporate banking with responsibility for the bank's derivatives and structuring businesses.
The corporate planning role is considered by those inside and outside Citicorp to be transitory and varies depending on which direction Mr. Reed would like it to take, said the spokesman.
Analysts said the corporate planning position is usually used to prepare younger Citicorp executives for broader business-line responsibilities.
Mr. Ruder, 43, will be consumer branding czar, reporting to Mr. Campbell. Mr. Ruder will also be responsible for developing new consumer products.
