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
RIA NEWS OCT 01, 2010
Uncle Sam's bailout bets beating Treasuries by a mile

Washington's $309B in TARP investments has generated an 8.3% return

RIA NEWS OCT 01, 2010
Morgan Stanley postpones brokerage goals, blames flash crash

Morgan Stanley said it will miss profit-margin goals for its brokerage joint venture with Citigroup Inc.'s Smith Barney, blaming the May 6 market crash for scaring away investors.

Seller's remorse? Wall Street rethinking suitability of 'suitability'
RIA NEWS SEP 30, 2010
Seller's remorse? Wall Street rethinking suitability of 'suitability'

The SEC suit against Goldman Sachs has some Wall Street execs rethinking the standard of care that's due less-savvy investors. But flogging a new framework for 'suitability' could be a tough sell.

Ex-Citigroup rep fined — $500 — in 'squawk box' case
Ex-Citigroup rep fined — $500 — in 'squawk box' case

Former Citigroup Inc. stockbroker Ralph Casbarro was fined $500 and received no prison sentence or probation for his involvement in a scheme to let day traders eavesdrop on internal conversations over brokers' “squawk boxes.”

RIA NEWS SEP 23, 2010
Brokerages' forecasts for the S&P 500

Check out the estimates from strategists at brokerages for where the Standard & Poor's 500 Index will finish 2010 and how much profit companies in the benchmark measure of U.S. stocks will generate

Citigroup to triple hedge fund offerings for wealthy clients
Citigroup to triple hedge fund offerings for wealthy clients

Citigroup Inc.'s private bank will triple the number of hedge funds such as Paulson & Co. that its wealthy clients can invest in, under a push to increase money-management revenue.

ALTERNATIVES SEP 17, 2010
An Ivy League of their own: Another endowment chief to start investment firm

James Walsh, the departing endowment chief at Cornell University, plans to start a $150 million hedge fund with performance fees that are spread out over three years.

Reports of consumer's death greatly exaggerated: Doll
RIA NEWS SEP 16, 2010
Reports of consumer's death greatly exaggerated: Doll

Don't write the obit just yet: experts like BlackRock's Bob Doll and Morgan Stanley's Richard Berner say U.S. households are 'heading in the right direction' by saving more and borrowing less.

Finra's U-5 directive could put firms in a tough spot
Finra's U-5 directive could put firms in a tough spot

Finra's directive requiring firms to ramp-up their disclosure about broker terminations could trigger defamation suits, lawyers say. And it may not be so good for the brokers, either.

ALTERNATIVES SEP 15, 2010
UBS hires Morgan Stanley Smith Barney alternatives specialist

Jerry Pascucci, the chief investment officer for alternative investments at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, is joining the U.S. wealth management unit of UBS AG to run alternatives for high-net-worth clients.

RIA NEWS SEP 13, 2010
Morgan Stanley taps brokerage exec as new head of private banking

Morgan Stanley, owner of the world's largest brokerage, named Shelley Hanan chief executive officer of its private bank, a month after it gave her the job on an interim basis.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney taps new consulting group leader
RIA NEWS SEP 13, 2010
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney taps new consulting group leader

Morgan Stanley, owner of the world's largest brokerage, named James Walker to head its consulting- services group, which provides clients with investment advice and managed accounts.

Wall Street 'bewilderment machine' still cranking out products
RIA NEWS SEP 13, 2010
Wall Street 'bewilderment machine' still cranking out products

Critics want regulators to zero in on 'little cancers' -- instruments that confuse buyers and generate large fees

FINTECH SEP 08, 2010
Here's a first: Tech IPOs lagging large-cap performance

Days of Nasdaq offerings trouncing S&P 500 at an end; 'looking for the next Google' -- and not finding it