If asked about your career at a dinner party, how would
you describe it?
I could point to almost anything in the room that was imported
and explain how Citi helps one company overseas to produce it and
another company in the U.S. to import it for sale domestically.
There is a whole “unseen” world of banking transactions that
support the $17 trillion in annual world trade flows.
What about your career excites you the most - gets you
out of bed in the morning?
Competing with the other banks in our line of business—whether
it’s for a new client, a new hire, or the first to market with a
new service. It’s quite a thrill to win a multi-million dollar RFP
going against your industry peers.
What do you consider Citi's competitive
edge?
In my particular business, Trade Services and Finance, it is
clearly our global presence and risk appetite. Few other banks can
match our operational capabilities across 113 cities in 72
countries combined with a willingness to bank the Fortune 1000,
multinationals, top tier local corporates, and small and medium
size enterprises around the world. This enables Citi to cover all
sides of a transaction, delivering end-to-end service, and explains
why we are a leader in helping companies to finance their global
supply chains.
How would you describe your team and the people you work
with?
We have an interesting variety of people—men and women, many
nationalities, some young and some older, some exclusively
Citibankers, and some “imported” from other banks and corporations.
It is a quite a mix and provides a wide knowledge base to support
our clients. We look to our analysts and associates for their
energy and enthusiasm and to help keep things lively.
What other groups do you liaise with regularly within
the Firm?
My role is global—supporting other Trade product managers,
financial institution relationship managers, Trade sales
specialists, and customer service and administrative units around
the world. So it is not unusual to be dealing with a dozen
different countries on any given day. I liaise not only with my
colleagues in Trade, but also members of the GTS Cash team as we
work on joint USD RFPs and exchange sales leads.
What skills have you found to be the most useful in your
position?
Communication skills are very important—especially the ability
to write well, whether for an RFP response, a marketing slip sheet,
an article in a trade journal, or a presentation. Equally important
is perseverance when you are trying to create a product or solve a
problem with global implications. Many different people have to be
brought into the equation, and the process can be less than smooth,
but I have also found that the end result of merging so many
different opinions is often a thorough, comprehensive solution.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Gardening and cycling. My wife complains that I also watch too
much TV, but I’m addicted to Lost. We got tired of fighting the
weekend traffic to the Jersey shore and purchased a country home in
Delaware County, New York that dates back to the 1880’s. Restoring
it has been a lot of fun. Probably the hardest physical thing I
ever did was “The Longest Ride” where you bike from High Point to
Cape May, New Jersey in a single day—210 miles!