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 APR 17, 2009
Citi's 1Q profit spike: Less than meets the eye

Citigroup Inc. Chief Executive Vikram Pandit put his credibility on the line last month when he wrote a memo saying the bank, after five consecutive quarters of losses, at last was profitable. It turns out that depends on which definition of “profit” is used.

RIA NEWS APR 16, 2009
JPMorgan Chase posts better-than-expected profit

JPMorgan Chase said today it earned $2.14 billion for the first quarter, thanks to rising deposits and lower borrowing rates. The profit was 10 percent lower than last year, but better than expected.

RIA NEWS APR 16, 2009
Michigan details settlement with Citigroup, Wachovia

Michigan regulators say brokerage firms Citigroup Inc. and Wachovia Corp. have paid $2.37 million to the state after an investigation into the sale of auction rate securities.

RIA NEWS APR 15, 2009
Traders step up buying after Fed report on economy

Investors picked up consumer staples and industrials stocks today but remained cautious after getting more evidence that the economy is still struggling.

EQUITIES APR 14, 2009
Stocks fall as retail sales, price data disappoint

Stocks fell Tuesday after an unexpected drop in retail sales and producer prices tested a notion that the economy is starting to find its footing.

Lincoln digs deep to repay $500M debt

Shares of Lincoln National Corp. fell today as the insurer prepared to pay down $500 million in debt.

RIA NEWS MAR 31, 2009
Stocks rebound on last day of quarter

Wall Street has ended a tumultuous March on a high note, managing its first winning month this year and its best monthly performance in nearly seven years.

RIA NEWS MAR 30, 2009
Bank stocks fall after Geithner's comments

Bank stocks retreated today amid fresh concerns that financial firms will need additional capital to weather the ongoing credit crisis and recession.

Fed and Treasury chief to get grilled on AIG

The Federal Reserve's chairman and the secretary of the treasury are making a rare joint appearance at a congressional hearing, to take a scolding over AIG.

ALTERNATIVES MAR 19, 2009
Madoff bled hedge funds too

A full 20% of the hedging shops that blew up last year were feeder funds for Bernie’s Ponzi scheme that thought they were overseeing $16 billion. They weren’t.

Investor sues Prudential over 'misleading' note offering

An investor has filed a class action against Prudential Financial Inc. and a slate of its executives, alleging that the insurer violated federal securities laws in a June 2008 public offering of junior subordinated notes.

RIA NEWS MAR 15, 2009
Despite market rally, advisers remain skeptical

Many advisers don't believe that the market has bottomed, even though the Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied for four days last week.

MUTUAL FUNDS MAR 10, 2009
TD Ameritrade to keep waiving money-fund fees

TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. will continue waiving fees on many money market funds for the rest of its fiscal year to ensure that clients who sweep cash into the funds don’t lose their principal, the company’s chief financial officer said today.

Regulatory overhaul needed: Bernanke

America's financial regulatory system must be overhauled to strengthen oversight of banks, mutual funds and large financial institutions, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday.