Chief Country Officer & Banking Head - Qatar

About the Role

The Chief Country Officer (CCO) & Banking Head for Qatar and Oman at Citi leads the corporate banking business across these markets, representing the Citi franchise locally and driving strategic growth and governance. The position is critical in managing regulatory compliance, stakeholder relationships, and organizational leadership within the Qatar Financial Centre and Oman.

Responsibilities

• Direct and implement Citi’s client and business strategies in Qatar, aligning with corporate standards and local regulations to meet short- and long-term objectives.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, ethical norms, corporate governance standards, and overall business practices.
• Use sound judgment to evaluate issues and make decisions supporting Citi’s mission and vision.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate various risks by establishing and maintaining robust control frameworks.
• Oversee resource allocation for governance, risk management, and compliance; escalate relevant risks to governance committees.
• Demonstrate effective leadership across the franchise, modeling positive behaviors and collaborative management of large matrix teams.
• Maintain strong, transparent relationships with clients, government entities, regulators, media, and staff to enhance Citi’s market position and growth.
• Partner with HR to develop talent strategies, including franchise-wide talent reviews and employee engagement initiatives.
• Lead crisis response efforts such as franchise-wide emergencies or disasters.
• Safeguard Citi’s reputation within the country.
• Manage all local businesses, product lines, and functions directly or via matrix reporting.
• Coordinate corporate governance and regulatory reporting for country-specific legal entities.
• Lead engagement with government and regulatory bodies.
• Monitor critical risk limits and conduct scenario planning at the country level.
• Ensure adherence to financial inclusion requirements.
• Appropriately assess risk in business decisions, promoting transparency and accountability, and enforce compliance with relevant laws, policies, and ethical standards.
• Develop and execute client-centered franchise growth strategies.
• Oversee Citi’s local Banking organization to deliver comprehensive services to clients.
• Responsible for the Qatar Banking profit and loss, managing flow and episodic revenues with a focus on leadership, risk mitigation, and corporate finance.
• Drive innovation, accelerate market responsiveness, and enable cross-selling across Citi's product platforms.
• Manage parent-level client relationships offering treasury and corporate finance solutions including cash management, trade finance, vendor finance, FX, credit, loans, debt capital markets, share repurchase, and derivatives.
• Ensure efficient capital utilization and deliver targeted capital returns (RORC, RoTCE).
• Achieve revenue, budget, risk management, and credit allocation goals in conjunction with Global Consumer Markets (GCM) and Risk teams.
• Lead sustainability efforts and digital transformation initiatives focused on digital-native clients and tools.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years’ experience, including at least 12 years in banking, finance, or economic roles directly connected to banking activities.
• At least 7 years of senior executive experience in relevant banking or financial leadership positions.
• Strong expertise in corporate finance and credit with Senior Credit Officer (SCO) certification.
• Proven skills in business management including P&L responsibility.
• Comprehensive knowledge of banking products such as loans, capital management, cash management, trade, corporate and structured finance, debt capital markets, and derivatives.
• Excellent relationship and stakeholder management capabilities both internally and externally.
• Demonstrated leadership and strategic planning abilities to align diverse teams and priorities.
• Ability to foresee industry changes and guide organizations through transformation.
• Commitment to simplification and operational efficiency.
• Familiarity with corporate governance frameworks and regulatory compliance.
• Understanding of global and regional banking strategies and their local application.
• Experience managing risk, finance functions, and internal controls.
• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent in any discipline; advanced degree or professional qualification in a business-related field preferred.

Additional Information

This position reports directly to the Middle East and Pakistan Sub-Cluster Head and entails leading both Qatar and Oman corporate banking operations. Citi values diversity and equal opportunity and provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities. The employer is dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace free from discrimination.