COMPANIES

Citigroup

Office address: 388 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10013
Website: citigroup.com
Year established: 1812
Company type: banking
Employees: 229,000+ (global)
Expertise: investment banking, capital markets and advisory, securities services and custody, wealth and private banking, asset management and alternatives, treasury and trade solutions, foreign exchange and derivatives, corporate and commercial lending
Parent company: N/A
Key people: Jane Fraser (CEO), Nadir Darrah (chief auditor), Sunil Garg (head of NA), Mark Mason (CFO), Anand Selvakesari (COO), Andy Sieg (head of wealth), Sara Wechter (CHRO)
Financing status: shareholder-owned company

Citigroup is a major bank based in New York that serves companies, governments, and investors. It runs trading, capital markets, and investment banking businesses across 94 markets worldwide. Citi moves nearly $5 trillion daily, while managing wealth for institutional and US personal clients.

History of Citigroup

Citigroup's origins began in 1812 after City Bank of New York was chartered to help the city rival older financial centers. The charter followed a long political battle involving merchants aligned with President James Madison and supporters of Vice President George Clinton.

Samuel Osgood became the first president, and Clinton's allies held almost half the board seats. That small New York bank later evolved over 200 years into the institution now known as Citi.

Growing beyond New York

The bank opened a branch in Panama in 1904 at the US government's request and then expanded further. The National City Company sold bonds to ordinary investors, which helped fund companies and governments beyond Wall Street.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the bank built a broad New York branch network. It helped customers through the Great Depression and World War II, when women made up 43 percent of its almost 10,000 employees.

Citigroup's postwar and modern development

After 1945, the bank backed European rebuilding, financed major transport projects and expanded into the Middle East and Africa. In the 1960s and 1970s, it launched negotiable CDs, grew consumer banking and introduced ATMs for 24‑hour access.

From the 1980s, Citi expanded wealth and private banking services, including Citigold in Hong Kong. In 1998, a major merger created Citigroup, which later managed through the 2007–2008 crisis and reshaped its business mix.

It also supported the International Paralympic Committee through global sport partnerships. In 2021, Jane Fraser became Citi's CEO.

Investment banking and China growth

Citi has recently renewed its focus on investment banking under Viswas "Vis" Raghavan as head of banking. Since his arrival, the firm has hired at least 10 senior JPMorgan deal‑makers to strengthen M&A, equity capital markets, and technology coverage. This supports Jane Fraser's broader restructuring plans.

At the same time, Citigroup is pushing for growth in China as cross‑border activity increases. It has trimmed some consumer and technology roles, yet remains focused on Chinese companies expanding overseas and international clients. It's also pursuing a securities license and building on its existing capital markets permissions.

Citigroup's products and services

Citi offers a wide range of investment solutions that combine global reach and institutional‑grade platforms:

Institutional and corporate investment solutions

  • investment banking advisory
  • debt capital markets
  • equity capital markets
  • structured finance
  • foreign exchange and rates trading
  • treasury and trade solutions (TTS)

Securities services and investor support

  • global custody
  • fund services
  • securities finance
  • collateral management
  • transfer agency
  • trustee and depositary services

Wealth and private client investments

  • Citi Global Wealth Investments
  • Citi Investment Management
  • alternative investments
  • discretionary portfolio management
  • capital markets access for individuals

Citigroup also supports clients through its liquidity, risk, and cross‑border solutions that link investing to daily operations. Its global network and platforms help institutions and wealthy clients manage complex portfolios across markets.

Culture and corporate values

Citigroup says that it aims to be a merit‑based workplace where people feel included and engaged. The bank says this culture supports its vision, expressed through these core fundamentals:

  • thinking global
  • simplifying the bank
  • increasing connectivity
  • investing in its team

According to Citigroup, the firm offers benefits that support personal, professional and financial well‑being. Global opportunities, flexible work, and other resources help employees thrive in daily life:

  • global opportunities: build careers locally or in overseas roles
  • hybrid work: mix office collaboration with remote flexibility
  • professional development: access training, mentorship and skills programs
  • employee wellness: medical coverage plus mental health support resources
  • retirement planning: retirement contributions and investment choices for savings
  • parental and family support: parental leave, childcare help, and family programs
  • well‑being initiatives: programs that encourage healthy, balanced lifestyles
  • localized benefits: benefits tailored to each country's local needs

Citigroup also has a $1 trillion sustainable finance goal through 2030 to support a low‑carbon, inclusive economy. It also targets net zero emissions by 2050 while helping clients with their own transitions.

About CEO Jane Fraser and key people

Jane Fraser is chair of the board and CEO of Citigroup Inc. Fraser has spent more than 20 years at Citi in senior roles across its consumer and institutional businesses. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MA in economics from Cambridge University.

Citigroup's executive management team includes these key leaders and roles:

  • Nadir Darrah is chief auditor, overseeing Citigroup’s internal audit function and key risk reviews
  • Sunil Garg is CEO of Citibank NA and head of NA, leading North America-wide client franchises
  • Mark Mason is CFO, managing Citi’s financial strategy, reporting, and capital planning
  • Anand Selvakesari is COO, overseeing firmwide operations, technology, and transformation programs globally
  • Andy Sieg is head of Wealth, leading Citi’s global wealth business serving affluent and ultra-wealthy clients
  • Sara Wechter is CHRO, directing HR, talent strategy, and culture initiatives worldwide

Together, these executives guide Citigroup's strategy, people, and day‑to‑day operations. Their decisions shape client service and long‑term shareholder returns.

The future at Citigroup

Citigroup is using its global wealth arm to spot rich clients shifting assets from the US to the UK. Citi US stays central because those clients still need cross‑border advice, lending and portfolio management between American and British markets. This shift helps the bank grow international wealth revenue and refine its strategy for serving mobile, ultra‑wealthy families.

Elsewhere in Citi's ongoing transformation story, Citigroup hired outside counsel to review concerns about Andy Sieg, its head of Wealth. After the probe, the bank kept him in the role.

CEO Jane Fraser links that decision to strong results in the wealth unit and a broader turnaround that’s nearing its final phase. The bank also continues flexible work policies and sees clients more active in capital markets, which supports its long‑term wealth growth plans.

The latest Citigroup news

Displaying 1654 results
Wall Street looks to Europe for outperforming equities
EQUITIES APR 08, 2024
Wall Street looks to Europe for outperforming equities

Goldman, Citi among those suggesting cyclical stocks will deliver.

DOL limits companies with foreign convictions from managing 401(k) assets
DOL limits companies with foreign convictions from managing 401(k) assets

The regulator for years has granted exemptions for financial institutions whose affiliates have been convicted of financial crimes overseas.

Citi pays Andy Sieg $11.3M for first 3 months as wealth head
Citi pays Andy Sieg $11.3M for first 3 months as wealth head

The size of award underscores Citi's desire to overhaul its struggling wealth division.

Commercial real estate tremors reverberate in CLO space
ALTERNATIVES MAR 19, 2024
Commercial real estate tremors reverberate in CLO space

Unprecedented stress in vehicles for risky real estate debt could be canary in the coal mine for the broader commercial real estate debt market.

Gold standard drives Steward’s growth
RIA NEWS MAR 12, 2024
Gold standard drives Steward’s growth

Steward Partners CEO talks about the value of its equity ownership model, why the wirehouses have already lost, and plans to continue the firm’s M&A momentum.

RayJay snaps up ex-Citi muni execs to bolster growth efforts
RayJay snaps up ex-Citi muni execs to bolster growth efforts

The brokerage giant is strengthening its public finance division’s presence in key markets including Seattle and Los Angeles.

Raymond James adds teams from Morgan Stanley, UBS
Raymond James adds teams from Morgan Stanley, UBS

The firm welcomes a $350 million duo in New England, and an advisor in Florida who had managed a $235 million book.

Wall Street DEI programs dial back amid litigation fear
RIA NEWS MAR 04, 2024
Wall Street DEI programs dial back amid litigation fear

Firms are opening up diversity programs to all, which may erase progress.

Veteran advisor vanishes with wife while sailing Caribbean
RIA NEWS FEB 27, 2024
Veteran advisor vanishes with wife while sailing Caribbean

Discovery of a violent scene in couple’s empty yacht off the coast of Grenada prompts police investigation of ‘tragic event.’

Snowden Lane Partners adds $208M mother-son advisor team in New York
RIA NEWS FEB 23, 2024
Snowden Lane Partners adds $208M mother-son advisor team in New York

The advisors become managing directors at the firm’s headquarters.

Nikkei smashes 1989 record to enter uncharted territory
RIA NEWS FEB 22, 2024
Nikkei smashes 1989 record to enter uncharted territory

Asian tech stocks are rallying and Japan’s equities are on fire.

Citi boosts CEO Jane Fraser's pay to $26M
Citi boosts CEO Jane Fraser's pay to $26M

The increase comes after Fraser initiated what's billed as the largest reworking of Citigroup in decades.

Capital One to pay $35B for Discover in 2024's largest deal so far
RIA NEWS FEB 20, 2024
Capital One to pay $35B for Discover in 2024's largest deal so far

Combined entity will be largest US credit card firm by loan volume.

Why are investors souring on Indian equities?
RIA NEWS FEB 20, 2024
Why are investors souring on Indian equities?

Headwinds pose risk to elevated valuations, sparking profit-taking.

Citi hails private fund tokenization pilot as a success
FINTECH FEB 15, 2024
Citi hails private fund tokenization pilot as a success

The proof of concept could accelerate blockchain tech on Wall Street.