Nov 16 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is joining private-equity firm Warburg Pincus, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

Geithner, who played a major role in combating the global financial crisis during the four years he served as Treasury secretary, will join the New York-based firm in March as president and managing director, the newspaper reported Geithner as saying in an interview.

Geithner stepped down as Treasury secretary in January and is credited with helping to calm the financial storm that swept through Wall Street in 2007-2009.

Reuters was not immediately able to contact Geithner or Warburg Pincus for comment.