By Jesús Aguado

MADRID, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Christiana Riley will succeed

Tim Wennes as the new CEO of Santander in the United

States, Santander Executive Chair Ana Botin said on Friday in a

message on social media platform Instagram.

"Christiana will become CEO of Santander US and I am

confident she is well-placed to lead the next phase of growth in

this critical market," Botin said.

Botin thanked Wennes for transforming Santander US and

"laying the foundations for continued growth and success".

The reshuffle comes at a time when Santander is expanding

its footprint in the U.S. in areas such as corporate and

investment banking.

Riley joined Santander in 2023 to oversee the lender's

business in North America.

The bank, which relies on 10 key markets for the bulk of its

business, has one of the biggest auto-lending businesses in the

U.S. It wants to use the U.S. to build its own technology

platform for consumer banking, including digital-only banking

and consumer finance.

It formally launched its U.S. digital bank in October,

offering high-yield savings accounts, which could help fund up

to $30 billion in loans for vehicle purchases and broaden its

retail business in the country.

In October Botin said she expected the bank to have a

full-service digital bank in the U.S. by the end of 2025 - a

crucial step, as Santander's U.S. business has been generating

subpar returns.