LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - BNP Paribas' UK head of

global banking Matthew Ponsonby has resigned from his position,

the bank said on Friday.

A successor will be announced in due course, the bank said.

"Matthew leaves our UK business in a strong position," a

spokesperson for the bank said in a statement. "We thank him for

his significant contribution to the growth of our franchise and

wish him well in his future endeavours."

Ponsonby, who joined in 2017, said he is moving to a

"compelling opportunity" that has yet to be disclosed publicly.

"I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved at BNP

Paribas," Ponsonby told Reuters. "We have made extraordinary

progress."

Ponsonby joined the bank in a newly created role as part of

strategy to expand its investment banking activity in Europe as

competitors retrench, identifying four target markets including

the UK for growth.

The firm has been making inroads into

UK

mergers and

acquisitions

with roles on deals such as the 3.57-billion-pound takeover

of Royal Mail's owner.

He had joined from Barclays ( JJCTF ) where he was vice chairman

of banking, having joined the British bank in 2009 from

Citigroup ( C/PN ).