“Citi Salutes” Initiative to Create Career Opportunities Within Financial Services for Military Veterans

Citi announced today that it is committed to hiring 1,000 military veterans in 2012 as part of its new initiative, Citi Salutes, a national effort to support returning troops from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as veterans of past conflicts.

“Citi Salutes” is described as a one-stop resource that consolidates all of Citi’s programs, products and partnerships that support the greater veterans community. Housed at CitiSalutes.com, the initiative encompasses the bank's commitment to create career opportunities at Citi and within the financial services industry, as well as Citi banking products and services tailored to military customers such as money management tools and resources to build financial capability and information about Citi’s longtime partnerships with veteran service organizations (VSOs)

“We are providing members of our nation’s Armed Services, past and present, with a centralized resource to meet a range of unique needs,” said Citi CEO Vikram Pandit. “Citi is committed and honored to provide meaningful personal and professional opportunities, specialized products and the best possible service to those who have dedicated themselves to protecting and defending their fellow Americans.”

Hiring military veterans has been a longtime priority for Citi, which was named among the top 10 “Best for Vets” Employers for 2012 by Military Times EDGE. The company currently employs more than 2,000 self-identified veterans, including nearly 700 hired in 2011.

“Citi Salutes is working to respond to the high veterans' unemployment rate, the financial challenges faced by military families and the unique needs of our uniformed men and women who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in large numbers,” said Suni Harford, Citi’s Regional Head of Markets for North America.

Citi leadership is also involved with the Advisory Board of Joining Forces, a national initiative established by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to encourage individuals, communities and businesses to support veterans and their families.

“Citi is among the key large companies whose participation in Joining Forces has resulted in more than 60,000 jobs for veterans and military spouses since April 2011,” said U.S. Navy Captain Brad Cooper, Executive Director of Joining Forces. “With a commitment to hire an additional 1,000 veterans in 2012, Citi is helping to lead this broad national effort to support our returning troops.”

In 2010, Citi began working with four other financial services firms to develop a coordinated, non-competitive professional development program for veterans looking to work in our industry. Today, Veterans on Wall Street (VOWS) brings together the best of Wall Street to support and honor Armed Forces service members by convening stakeholders who have a shared interest in veterans’ employment and transitional issues. The second annual VOWS conference and job fair will be held on June 21, 2012 in New York City.