Charlotte resident named head of Citi commercial banking in U.S.

Citigroup Inc. announced this week that William Howle, a Charlotte resident who spent time at Bank of America and Wachovia, has been named the head of commercial banking for the U.S.

The business unit has about 1,000 employees and has been helping the bank's initiative to improve retail and commercial operations around North America. The unit has increased its lending for six consecutive quarters, the bank said.

Most recently, Howle was the chief operating officer for commercial and consumer lending at Citi. He will remain in that role, Citi said.