Citi Country Officer (CCO) / Banking Head - South Africa at Citi

Job Overview

• The South Africa CCO & Banking Head is the face of Citi in the country playing an instrumental role in leading the growth and protecting the Citi franchise in the country. The role will involve implementing a focused, client-centric strategy to optimize the business opportunities for the country. The candidate will be responsible for developing and maintaining client relationships by understanding clients’ needs and delivering the best of Citi.
• The job holder is the main representative of Citi in front of the South Africa government, relevant regulators, clients, media, and community. This role acts as a first line of defence with regards to assessing risks to safeguard the franchise, its clients, assets as well as its employees while ensuring compliance to all applicable laws, regulations, and institutional guidelines. The Citi Country Officer & Banking Head (CCOBH) will partner with Citi’s International organization to drive client engagement and delivery across all lines of business. The CCO & Banking Head is responsible for attracting, engaging and retaining key talent while fostering a work environment that supports psychological safety and wellness of the human assets.
• This role reports to the Sub Sahara Africa sub-cluster & Banking Head.

Responsibilities:

International

• Franchise Management in terms of developing and executing Citi’s overall client’s and business strategy to achieve both short and long- term goals in compliance with corporate standards and local regulations.
• Ensuring compliance with all corporate policies, including ethical standards, corporate governance standards and business practice requirements.
• Applying judgment in understanding issues and making sound decisions that support, confirm, and enhance Citi's mission and vision.
• Identifying, assessing, mitigating, communicating, and anticipating all types of risks through the development and sustainability of appropriate control mechanisms.
• Overseeing, and escalating as necessary, the resourcing requirements of the legal entity to perform its governance, risk management and compliance obligations and reporting material risks / issues affecting the legal entity to the appropriate governance committees.
• Exhibit efficient and effective leadership that touches all parts of the franchise and provides a strong role model.
• Ability to attain and maintain strong relationship management with clients, government officials, regulators, employees, and media that engender a high level of trust and transparency to support the development of Citi’s market position and growth.
• In partnership with HR, executing Citi’s Talent agenda and overseeing franchise-wide Talent review and development activities.
• Sponsor employee engagement across the franchise ensuring employees at all levels are engaged, productive and effective.
• Leading Citi’s response to a franchise-wide event, e.g. crisis or disaster.
• Protecting Citi’s reputation in the country.
• Managing (directly or through matrix reporting, as appropriate) all businesses, product lines and functions based in country.
• Managing the organization and corporate governance of country-based legal entities and their regulatory reporting.
• Leading management and coordination of governmental and regulatory relationships.
• Providing oversight for all critical country and other risk limits and for country scenario planning.
• Ensuring compliance with all applicable requirements regarding financial inclusion.
• Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, demonstrating particular consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients and assets, by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, adhering to Policy, applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, and escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency, as well as effectively supervise the activity of others and create accountability with those who fail to maintain these standards.
• Ensuring the franchise meets the B-BEE requirements for South Africa
• Other job-related duties may be assigned as required.

Banking

• Develop and monitor a client-driven franchise growth strategy which is delivered through people and franchise management.
• Management of Citi’s Banking organization. The unified Banking & International organization oversees the local delivery of the full firm to clients in each of the markets where Citi has onshore presence.
• The role will have responsibility for both flow and episodic revenue which requires strong leadership, risk skills, corporate finance mindset and partnerships to deliver best in class solutions.
• Drive innovation and speed to market and promote cross-selling of products across the full platform.
• Responsible for the South Africa Banking P&L.
• Responsible for overall parent relationship management of clients and providing a wide range of treasury and corporate finance solutions, including cash management, trade, vendor finance, FX, general credit, loans, debt capital markets, share repurchase, and interest rate and equity derivatives.
• Ensuring efficient use of Capital and that Capital returns (RORC and RoTCE) are delivered across the franchise.
• Responsible for meeting revenue goals and other goals related to budget, risk management, and credit allocation in partnership with GCM and Risk.
• Lead the Sustainability agenda and the digital transformation for clients with particular emphasis on digital natives and digital tools.

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of 20 years of relevant experience, out of which at least 15 must have been in the banking industry and, at least 2 as MD/ED, with responsibility in several areas of banking operations including business development and customer relationship management
• Strong Corporate Finance and Credit skills. Senior Credit Officer (SCO) certification.
• Business Management and running a P&L.
• In-depth experience and understanding of banking products – loans / debts (short and long-term), capital management, cash management, trade products, corporate and structured finance, DCM, and derivatives products.
• Relationship/stakeholder management with both internal and external stakeholders
• Proven leadership skills and strategic thinking to create momentum and a collective agenda across multiple products with a diverse population and competing priorities.
• Ability to anticipate and lead the organizational response to future changes and translate vision into executable plans.
• Ability to drive and foster simplification to achieve efficiency.
• Navigating corporate governance frameworks.
• Understanding and translating global/regional strategy.
• Previous experience of managing Risk, Finance and Controls.

Education:

• A minimum of first degree or its equivalent in any discipline plus a higher degree or professional qualification in any business-related discipline.