For First Time, a Woman Will Lead Major US Bank

Jane Fraser is taking over at Citigroup
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Sep 10, 2020 2:09 PM CDT
For Big US Banks, a CEO Milestone
In this undated photo provided by Citigroup, Jane Fraser poses for a portrait.   (Julian Restrepo/Citigroup via AP)

Citigroup's Jane Fraser will become the first woman to ever lead a Wall Street bank when she succeeds CEO Michael Corbat in February. The New York bank announced the succession Thursday, per the AP and the Wall Street Journal. Fraser, 53, is currently head of Citi's global consumer banking division, a major part of the bank that oversees checking and savings accounts but also Citi's credit card business. She's been with Citi for 16 years and had recently been tasked with leading the cleanup of the bank's troubled Latin American banking business. Fraser will be the first woman to lead one of Wall Street's big six banks, a major accomplishment in an industry long dominated by men. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has had two women as his second-in-command for years—Marianne Lake and Jennifer Piepszak—but shows no signs of stepping down.

In a congressional hearing last year, the CEOs of the Wall Street banks were asked whether they expected to be succeeded by a woman in their roles, and no man raised his hand at the time. Fraser will be one of only 32 female CEOs running a company in the S&P 500, according to Equilar. Corbat led Citigroup for eight years, rebuilding the bank after it nearly collapsed during the Great Recession and 2008 financial crisis. The federal government had to step in to buy a stake in Citi to keep it afloat, and the bank had some of the most toxic assets on its books of all the major banks during this time. Citi declined to make Fraser available for interviews. In a prepared statement, Fraser said: “Citi is an incredible institution with a proud history and a bright future. I am excited to join with my colleagues in writing the next chapter.”

(More Citibank stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X