Goldman Sachshas turned to Mark Schwartz, a former partner, to take on the role of head of Asia-Pacific for the investment bank.
Mr Schwartz, who retired from the bank in 2001, will be based in Beijing. He takes over as head of Asia from Mike Evans, who moved back to New York in 2010. Mr Evans has been seen by some as a potential successor to Lloyd Blankfein as chief executive.
Mr Evans, who has served as chairman of Asia Pacific since 2004, will continue in his role as global head of growth markets, based in New York. Mr Evans has long wanted a successor in the region but Goldman has struggled to replace him, say people familiar with the matter.