CITIGROUP

Black Collegian, Oct 2006 by Fagerberg, Paula

Global reach with a small-company feel By Paula Fagerberg

Citigroup (NYSE: Cj, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney, and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.

EMPLOYEES: Citigroup has 300,000 employees worldwide.

DIVERSITY: At Citigroup, we are committed to the diversity of our workforce. And with a presence in more than 10O countries, where more than 98 percent of our employees are hired locally, we are perhaps the most diverse company in the world. The diversity is a source of strength for our employees, clients, and the communities where we live and work.

WEBSITE: For opportunities, please apply online to www.oncampus.cirigroup.com.

SHARAFADEEN MUHAMMED

Title: Associate, Financial Management Associate (FMA) Program

Education: B.Sc in Accounting, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria, 2000; Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, 2003

With company since: June 2002

Career goal: A finance-related role with active participation in the decision-making process to improve the bottom line

Advice for new graduates: Have a clear vision of your career goal. Don't close yourself off to any opportunity.

How did you come to choose Citigroup as an employer?

I had been living and going to school in Nigeria, and I wanted a platform that would give me international exposure and allow me to enjoy a multicultural latitude. Citigroup orrers that in Nigeria and all over the world-we're in 100 countries. I came to New York because I was recruited internally from Lagos. I am now doing Financial Management Associate (FMA) program rotations in Citigroup businesses.

What are the benefits of doing these rotations?

The FMA program pulls young professionals from business schools and internally in order to build a pipeline of future finance leaders for the whole company. There are three rotations in all, each one lasting six months. The FMA stays in the region of hire (there are five regions: the U.S., Asia, Europe, Japan, and Latin America) for two rotations, and has the opportunity to go out internationally for one. The rotations give participants exposure across Citigroup's businesses, including an excellent cross-functional experience that gives the associates the opportunity to learn a variety of finance roles and how they function across these businesses as well as geographically. For me, the rotations are very valuable, as they provide me with a great opportunity to network, especially with the seniors, and learn Citigroup'e businesses from the senior managers first hand.

What woulu you want someone new to Citigroup to know about the company and its policies?

Because we are so widespread geographically and have about 98% of our staff hired locally, Citigroup employees have an opportunity to relate directly to people everywhere in the world, to understand their cultures and the way they do things. And here in the New York office, we have people of all nationalities; in my office there are Russians, Brazilians, Chinese, and people from all parts of the globe. That shows how diverse we are.

I believe that Citigroup will continue to support diversity. The goal of the company is to be the most respected financial services company in the world. To achieve that, we must do things that are exceptional, things that no one else does. Citigroup has always been a leader in innovations in the financial services industry.

What are you proudest of about being part of Citigroup?

The company's reputation for excellence. The second thing is our geographical reach, how our employees have the opportunity to build a career-to pursue challenges anywhere in the world.

DONALD FELIX

Title: Associate, Investment Banking

Education: BBA, Information Systems and Analysis, Howard University, 1996; MBA, Finance and Strategic Management, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, 2006

With company since: May 1995

Career goal: To be a Managing Director within the investment banking industry

Advice for new graduates: Maintain a rolling two-to-three-year plan, and always work on something that will improve you.

Why aid you choose to join Citigroup? I've actually joined Citigroup twice! The first time was after completing my undergraduate degree, out I've also recently come Lack to the company after leaving to attend business school. The first time I chose Citigroup, I had certain criteria in mind-the three E's: Exposure (access to senior people and working on senior projects), Education (extending my learning beyond the theoretical and academic), and Experience (significant early responsibility). Citigroup absolutely delivered all of those things. I was on a general management track prior to attending business school, and I wanted to get all that I could out of that experience, so I spent several years as a manager of a 30-person unit; but eventually I felt like the time was right for me to go to business school. Citigroup put me on an educational leave of absence, so the door was open for me to return.