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
Global stock slump may not be over
RIA NEWS MAY 16, 2022
Global stock slump may not be over

A mass exodus of money, an $11 trillion wipeout, and the worst losing streak for global stocks since the 2008 financial crisis. The bad news is that it may not be over yet.

Goldman is pulling out of most SPACs over threat of liability
Goldman is pulling out of most SPACs over threat of liability

The firm, which was the second-biggest underwriter of special purpose acquisition companies last year, has been telling sponsors of the vehicles it will end its involvement, sources said.

Wall Street firms make crypto push to catch up with ‘cool kids’
ALTERNATIVES APR 25, 2022
Wall Street firms make crypto push to catch up with ‘cool kids’

Earlier resistance could impede Wall Street’s latest efforts to stay competitive, just as regulatory uncertainty and internal compliance cloud expansion plans.

JPMorgan Q1 results marred by $524 million loss tied to Ukraine
RIA NEWS APR 13, 2022
JPMorgan Q1 results marred by $524 million loss tied to Ukraine

JPMorgan’s fixed-income traders pulled in $5.7 billion in the first three months of the year, crushing analysts’ estimates by $1 billion.

Bank ETF posts biggest cash exodus since 2020 ahead of earnings
MUTUAL FUNDS APR 09, 2022
Bank ETF posts biggest cash exodus since 2020 ahead of earnings

More than $2.5 billion has exited the $42 billion Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund last week.

Global bond sell-off deepens as Fed steps up tightening rhetoric
FIXED INCOME APR 06, 2022
Global bond sell-off deepens as Fed steps up tightening rhetoric

The prospect of aggressive Fed action propelled the benchmark 10-year Treasuries back into ranges seen in 2018 and 2019.

Chubb faces new kind of shareholder vote over fossil fuels
RIA NEWS MAR 29, 2022
Chubb faces new kind of shareholder vote over fossil fuels

The SEC didn't approve a request from Chubb to keep the shareholder resolution off the proxy ballot for its May 19 meeting.

Federal Reserve pivots toward jumbo hikes after being slammed as too slow
RIA NEWS MAR 29, 2022
Federal Reserve pivots toward jumbo hikes after being slammed as too slow

The Fed quickly became more concerned that the surge in food and energy prices caused by the war in Ukraine would entrench inflation — and expectations — at unacceptably high levels.

JPMorgan agrees to racial-equity audit for $30 billion effort
JPMorgan agrees to racial-equity audit for $30 billion effort

The biggest U.S. bank will hire a third party to perform the audit and publish a report on the results by the end of this year.

Edward Jones to spend $1 billion on tech in 2022
FINTECH MAR 15, 2022
Edward Jones to spend $1 billion on tech in 2022

The company is investing in its technology infrastructure — including digital initiatives and virtual tools — to improve the relationships between clients and their financial advisers. 

Disney shareholders want pay gap reports
RIA NEWS MAR 11, 2022
Disney shareholders want pay gap reports

That proposal, which asks the company to report data on median and adjusted pay gaps, was approved by 59% of shareholders that voted by proxy.

Messaging apps take on Wall Street
FINTECH MAR 09, 2022
Messaging apps take on Wall Street

The latest apps like WhatsApp and emailing platforms like Gmail are beginning to play an oversized role in adviser communications, a trend that could increase as more clients choose to communicate via their smartphones.

New Citigroup unit to sell products through independent advisers to wealthy investors
RIA NEWS MAR 02, 2022
New Citigroup unit to sell products through independent advisers to wealthy investors

Citi Alliance will be providing core banking and lending solutions to independent advisers and broker-dealers.

Citigroup is latest bank to be probed over unapproved messaging services
Citigroup is latest bank to be probed over unapproved messaging services

The SEC is probing Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and other firms over communications sent over unapproved electronic messaging channels.

Firms outline DEI efforts for Black History Month
Firms outline DEI efforts for Black History Month

Financial services companies recognize Black History Month, and DiversityQ has guidance for being a better ally.