UPDATE 2-BTG Pactual founder Esteves seeks to return as chairman

(Adds CEO quote about Esteves return)

By Carolina Mandl

SAO PAULO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Banco BTG Pactual SA's founder Andre Esteves is seeking to be reappointed as the Brazilian investment bank's chairman, it said in a securities filing on Wednesday, but Chief Executive Roberto Sallouti said his return will not affect the bank's course.

"Nothing changes," he said in a call with analysts.

Esteves gained regulatory approval in December to return to the bank's controlling shareholder group, known as G7, having stepped down as CEO and chairman after being jailed briefly in 2015 on suspicion of corruption.

He was released 23 days later and exonerated in one of Brazil's "Car Wash" corruption inquiries in July 2018. He returned to the bank in 2016 in a non-management role.

Still, Esteves has overseen a push into retail banking, led negotiations on acquisitions and worked directly with clients on deals as a Reuters report showed in July, troubling some corporate governance specialists.

Shareholders will decide on his return at a meeting in April, BTG said in the filing. Current chairman Nelson Jobim will step down and join a compliance committee.

Chief Financial Officer Joao Dantas will also quit and become the head of BTG's financial committee. He will be replaced by Renato Cohn.

The bank said four committees would help the board of directors make decisions: financial, compliance, people and strategy.

It said the reshuffle was aimed at improving the bank's corporate governance structure. (Reporting by Carolina Mandl Editing by David Goodman, Mark Potter and David Evans)