ZURICH (Reuters) - Merrill Lynch Bank (Suisse) has appointed a new head for its wealth management operations in Zurich in a bid to expand its presence in the country's financial capital, it said on Thursday.

In a statement, the group said Mark Kahnau will be the new office manager of its Global Wealth Management Zurich branch.

The headquarters of Merrill Lynch's private banking operations are in Geneva, but the bank wants to boost its presence in the German-speaking part of Swizterland.

Merrill Lynch, one of the world's largest wealth managers, holds total client assets of approximately $1.6 trillion.

(Reporting by Lisa Jucca; Editing by Quentin Bryar)