Tony Davies – Citi Private Bank

Why did you choose to work at Citi?
I initially chose Citi over other firms because the people who interviewed me seemed genuine and reasonable and less egotistical than the others. I have chosen to remain at Citi because it is an entrepreneurial and truly global place to work.

How long have you been at Citi?
I have worked for Citi since 1995, when I joined in London. I transferred to New York in 1997.  I moved went on a second ment to Switzerland in 1999, before transferring to Australia in 2001.  I am now based in Singapore with the Citi Private Bank.

What is about Citi that stands out for you?
Citi is a truly global company and I have had the opportunity to work in so many different locations.   Citi is also an entrepreneurial company - you don't need to start your own business to be entrepreneurial.  At Citi you apply it everyday.

What is it about Citi that drives you to succeed?
Our clients are demanding of me and of Citi and we always try to deliver.

What is the work environment like in your division/department?
The work environment is quite inspiring to be honest. Everyone has a strong desire to do the right thing for the client and the company.

What personal successes and achievements have working here provided for you?
I have worked in five countries with Citi over 14 years and have had some of the best personal experiences while working at Citi.

What is the most important message for someone interested in a career with Citi?
Working for an organisation the size of Citi means you can have both independence and entrepreneurialism.  Citi truly is a global organis ation with global resources at your fingertips.  The quality of the people here is superb and Citi is a leader not a follower. 

Sia Kontos – Operations & Technology

Why did you choose to work at Citi?
I started at Citi as a temporary employee after a one year holiday.  I was offered a permanent role at the end of my assignment and had enjoyed working at Citi so much that I took the role on offer.

How long have you been here?
I have been working at Citi for ten years now.  During that time I had a career break.   

What is about Citi that stands out for you?
I have worked in a number of teams in the ten years I have been at Citi and the consistent thing I have noticed is the great work environment and the people.  There is a real sense of team at Citi and the quality of the people here is superb. 

What is it about Citi that drives you to succeed?
I am exposed to so much variety in my role, and my manager is inspiring and this filters down to the rest of the team.  I guess the fact that my manager has a fantastic work ethic keeps me motivated.

What is the work environment like in your division/department? 
The work environment is great!  We have a lot of fun at work while making sure we always meet and exceed client requests.  Our Divisional Head really does try to make sure that although we are under a lot of pressure, that we have a chance to regularly have fun as a team.

What personal successes and achievements has working here provided for you?
My work effort is always recognis ed and two years ago I was given the opportunity to work flexible hours so I could spend quality time with my son.  Now that he is older I work full time, but those early years were very special to me.

What is the most important message for someone interested in a career with Citi?
At Citi your future is what you make of it.  Citi offers many different areas of work opportunity both locally and overseas.  We always hear stories of Citi employees who started as a young graduate only to eventually move into a Country CFO or CEO role.  However, don’t join Citi thinking that opportunities will be handed to you on a platter.  You have to work hard and prove yourself, but Citi does give you all the tools and support you need to be everything you want to be.

George BouAntoun - Investment Banking

What made you decide to pursue a career with Citi? 
I worked in Investment Research as an intern one summer. It gave me insight into each of the divisions within Citi and exposed me to the industry as a whole. More importantly, however, I learned about the people at Citi, and that proved key to taking a position.   

How would you describe your team and the people you work with?
The best words to describe the people I work with at Citi would be approachable, knowledgeable and intelligent. It's a real team environment here. Everyone is willing to answer questions that you may think are too silly to ask. I get along with everyone I work with, so much so, that we tend to head out for drinks together on a Thursday or Friday night.

What about your career excites you the most?
The most exciting part of this job is the environment that I am immersed in every day. I am working on deals and pitches that the public might not know about. I am surrounded by other bankers that are creating ideas and pitches that give you insight into how the world of investment banking really works. It is always challenging and that’s what keeps me getting up every morning.

What do you consider Citi's competitive edge?
By far, it s people. There is also the attraction that this is a truly global bank located in over 100 countries.  I don’t think there is another bank that is located in as many places as Citi around the world.  It provides an international perspective for clients, deals and job opportunities. 

How do you apply your degree to what you're doing now?
I studied a double degree in Computer Systems Engineering and Business majoring in Finance at UTS. Obviously the finance is applicable, with the opportunity to apply the theoretical skills and knowledge that I built while studying. We are constantly researching, modelling, and valuing prospective projects and companies. The fundamentals of valuation that I learnt while at Uni have helped me to incorporate and better understand the Citi- specific processes used in valuation.

The skills that I picked up within Engineering that I now use include the ability to take on a vast amount work and information, and then break that down into smaller more manageable tasks that improve my efficiency. 

Also the skill I use the most would be the willingness to self learn. Working as a generalist means that I work with teams in different sectors; from Real Estate, to Metals and Mining, to Energy Power and Chemicals, and also Industrials. As an analyst you have to understand these industries to be able to complete your work to the best of your ability. This is best done by learning as much as possible from your peers and from reading up on the industries yourself.

Ryan de Bruyn – Global Transaction Services

Why did you choose to work at Citi?
I was looking to join a corporate and investment bank that had a global footprint and Citi ticked all the boxes. I had just arrived from South Africa where I had worked for a client of Citi's and saw it as a great opportunity.

How long have you been here and how has your career changed in that time?
I've been with Citi for 3.5 years. I joined as a Management Accountant in the Business Planning & Analysis team of Global Banking and looked after the Global Transaction Services (GTS) and Corporate Banking businesses. A year into the role, I was offered a Business Analyst role with GTS to fill a position that had become available.

Over time that role has grown into the current Business Unit Manager role which now includes the co-ordination of all Risk & Control requirements as well as co-ordination of other business activities such as the annual budget process, preparation of business reviews, strategy & planning sessions and various other deliverables that come from our local and regional teams. 

What is about Citi that stands out for you?
The people and the product. Members of the team are extremely talented and driven. Having a team of this calibre on your side makes you believe that you can do anything. From a capability perspective, there is no other bank that has the global reach and offering of Citi. It became the world's first NY-headquartered u niversal b ank in 1998 and has continued to lead the way since then, but there is still much more that we can do.

What do you enjoy doing out of work and how does Citi make it work for you?
Family time is my number one priority at the moment as we have a 1 year old baby girl (Bella). I have a fair bit of flexibility between the ebbs and flows of my role and try to work a day from home once in a while when the schedule allows. Fitness is also very important to me. Six of us in the team just completed the Sydney to 'Gong bike ride and raised nearly $3,000 for charity. Many of the team helped by contributing towards our fundraising drive. I also enjoy swimming, running, golf, travel and music although there is never enough time in a day to do everything I'd like!

What is it about Citi that drives you to succeed?
There is a clear vision to succeed with a spirit of excellence and a sense of urgency. The culture is focused on challenging and improving the accepted way of doing something, which is an approach with which I identify .

What is the work environment like in your division/department?
Professional but fairly informal. There are different teams on the floor that each have their own sub- culture and group personality.  But there is also a definite sense of the bigger team which works hard and has fun.

What personal successes and achievements has working here provided for you?
I picked Citi initially out of four job offers as I saw the work as most satisfying and thought there would be more opportunities. This has proved to be true as there have been a number of opportunities offered to me since joining and a great amount of learning and development. Being promoted to Vice President in January was a rewarding recognition of the efforts I've put in over the past few years.