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
Female bankers take lead as financial companies target China's wealthiest
RIA NEWS MAR 28, 2019
Female bankers take lead as financial companies target China's wealthiest

Clients and banks say women bankers have the skills required by high-net worth clients

Wells Fargo adds low productivity to a long list of challenges
RIA NEWS MAR 15, 2019
Wells Fargo adds low productivity to a long list of challenges

Damage from scandals is forcing bank to develop new ways to motivate staff while spending more on compliance.

Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan gets 5.7 percent pay boost, $2 million bonus
Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan gets 5.7 percent pay boost, $2 million bonus

He received $2.4 million in salary and $14 million of restricted stock linked to performance goals.

Things to watch as Tim Sloan of Wells Fargo testifies before Congress
WIREHOUSES MAR 11, 2019
Things to watch as Tim Sloan of Wells Fargo testifies before Congress

House Financial Services committee will grill the CEO Tuesday about the progress he's made in resolving the bank's scandals.

Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan could be hard to oust — here's why
Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan could be hard to oust — here's why

Poaching a replacement from one of the bank's few peers would probably be costly.

Philadelphia sues seven banks over 'collusion' in municipal bond deals
FIXED INCOME FEB 21, 2019
Philadelphia sues seven banks over 'collusion' in municipal bond deals

Banks including JPMorgan and Bank of America conspired to fix prices on floating-rate municipal bonds, according to suit.

UBS at risk after $5 billion surprise penalty
UBS at risk after $5 billion surprise penalty

Penalties dwarf what bank set aside for legal issues and exceed earnings for all of last year.

Franklin Templeton settles 401(k) lawsuit for $14 million
Franklin Templeton settles 401(k) lawsuit for $14 million

Franklin Templeton settlement is among the largest in recent self-dealing cases.

Charles Schwab gets most 401(k) claims dismissed
Charles Schwab gets most 401(k) claims dismissed

One claim involving an in-house stable value fund will move forward.

Stock pickers are excited as passive funds shed $16 billion
EMERGING MARKETS FEB 08, 2019
Stock pickers are excited as passive funds shed $16 billion

Investors are moving out of ETFs to buy single stocks, with active bets seen as the key to outperformance.

After the crash, dreams die hard for Wall Street crypto bankers
ALTERNATIVES DEC 24, 2018
After the crash, dreams die hard for Wall Street crypto bankers

Squeamish from the start about pursuing profits in one of the darker corners of finance, established firms this year slowed their already halting efforts to make a business out of Bitcoin mania.

Muni market looks to 2019 for infrastructure bill, higher returns
FIXED INCOME DEC 21, 2018
Muni market looks to 2019 for infrastructure bill, higher returns

A continued decline in the amount of outstanding state and local government debt should help performance.

From Ferraris to psychedelics: An alternative investment guide
ALTERNATIVES DEC 20, 2018
From Ferraris to psychedelics: An alternative investment guide

If volatility has scared you away from stocks, maybe you should think about investing in batteries for electric vehicles, or crypto-tax software startups.

Growing chasm between rich and poor divides country into two Americas
RIA NEWS DEC 19, 2018
Growing chasm between rich and poor divides country into two Americas

Here are the areas that have shown the biggest increases in concentration of wealthy households.