July 9 (Reuters) - Blackstone Inc ( BX ) has hired Tyler

Dickson, the former global head of investment banking at

Citigroup ( C/PN ), to lead client relations for its credit and insurance

unit, the private equity firm said on Tuesday.

The new role will oversee Blackstone Credit & Insurance's

(BXCI) Institutional Client Solutions team, and more broadly

partner on BXCI's origination efforts with borrowers around the

world.

Dickson, a 30-year veteran at Citi, was recently serving as

the head of investment banking and vice chair of banking and

international.

Private equity firms have been lately moving towards the

fast-growing business of credit. As banks' capital got tied up

in risky loans and interest rates rose, groups of banks were

providing less financing via traditional syndicated loans. At

such a time , private lenders such as Blackstone have stepped

in.

Blackstone last year brought its groups that invest in

corporate credit as well as a business that manages money for

insurers under one umbrella, and named the segment Blackstone

Credit & Insurance, or BXCI.