MOVES-Barclays vice chairman of banking Matthew Ponsonby to retire - memo

LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Barclays (LSE: BARC.L - news) vice chairman of banking, Matthew Ponsonby will retire from the British bank at the end of January, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Friday.

Ponsonby, who joined Barclays from Citigroup (NYSE: C - news) in 2009 as co-head of European mergers and acquisitions (M&A), played a key role in building out Barclays' banking franchise in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), having held a variety or roles during his eight years at the bank.

He was appointed chief operating officer (COO) of Banking, EMEA in 2013 and co-global COO of banking in 2014 before assuming the role of vice chairman in May 2015.

"His breadth of experience and effective leadership have played a crucial role in driving the strategy of the banking business, against a backdrop of significant internal and external change," John Mahon, head of banking EMEAPAC said in the memo.

A Barclays spokesman in London confirmed the contents of the memo.

(Reporting By Anjuli Davies, editing by Sophie Sassard)