Citi: like a tech company with a banking licence

s a young person, indeed most of them in ’s New York as a young woman, Shirene headquarters. “It’s pretty exciting to Madani felt comfortable, wel- meet and work with head office people comed and valued when she just as you’re starting,” says Madani. Astarted work in Toronto last year at Citi For Bhatla, the training was a chance Canada, a subsidiary of Citibank, one to build a network and make workplace of the world’s largest and most powerful friends. “It beats just being dropped at a financial institutions. “We have a very desk on Day One,” he says. good gender balance here,” says Madani, Citi shows its concern for young hires a senior corporate banking analyst. “It’s in other ways. “Millennials want to make not male-dominated like some other a difference and are looking for oppor- financial institutions. I’m included in all tunities to give back,” Di Scola says. To work and social settings.” that end, Citi allows graduating students Even more so, Madani, an Ivey Busi- to take a year off to volunteer before they ness School graduate, feels empowered start their jobs. Once they begin, they can at Citi. “We are encouraged early on to sign up for a four-week Citi-sponsored work directly with our own clients and volunteer program in Kenya, aimed at attend client meetings with very senior helping local entrepreneurs. people,” she says. With offices in more than 100 coun- Nourishing and encouraging new em- CITI EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN A HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE FOR SEVA FOOD tries, Citi offers other opportunities for ployees is a critical Citi corporate strategy. candidates and then make them feel Di Scola describes Citi as a non- young people to develop professionally “From our global CEO on down, we are at home as soon as they join the bank. hierarchical technology company with and personally abroad. Madani is con- committed to attracting, developing and People like Madani first interacted with a banking licence. “We are an innova- sidering a one-year overseas assignment, retaining the best university-sourced tal- Citi through its extensive summer intern tion leader,” she says. “That is why we while Di Scola encourages all staff to ent,” says Christine Di Scola, who heads program while, for his part, University have survived and prospered for more look beyond Canada’s borders. Declares Citi’s HR operations in Canada. of Waterloo computer engineering grad than two centuries. If you are open to Di Scola: “With our global footprint Pawan Bhatla came aboard in 2014 lightning-speed change and transforma- and programs, our early career devel- directly after graduation. tion, then this is the place for you.” opment opportunities are second to If you are open to lightning-speed Bhatla experienced two co-op assign- Bhatla agrees. “New codes that could none.” change and transformation, then this ments at other financial institutions take more than a year to be adopted is the place for you. before joining Citi, where he now works by most companies can be put in place Christine Di Scola in fixed-income electronic trading sup- here in just a few weeks,” he says. More than 40% of 2016 Director and Country Human port out of Mississauga, Ont. “Citi dif- “That’s largely because management hires in six key areas were Resources Officer fers from other Canadian in two listens and is responsive to sound new under age 35 significant ways,” he says. “First, it is a ideas, even if they come from someone Some 60% of identified Since the 2008 global recession, Di truly global institution, which presents under 30.” future leaders are Scola says many business graduates have many opportunities for development. As a result, Bhatla says he is moti- under 35 gravitated to start-ups and technology Every day, I am talking to people from vated to take on even more responsibili- Six weeks of head office companies. “We intend to make Citi the Singapore to London, solving problems ties. “Having your ideas accepted makes training in employer of ,” she says. and learning new skills. you want to work harder and perform for most new hires To that end, Citi works closely with “Second, we may be a large organization, even better,” he adds. 51 full-time and summer some dozen Canadian universities across but it’s very accessible. My access to higher All new graduate hires undergo an undergraduate analysts hired in 2016 the country to first seek out leading management is pretty unparalleled.” intensive six-week training period,