Citi has hired Gary Crittenden, formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and head of Global Network Services at the American Express Company, as Chief Financial Officer. He will report directly to Charles Prince, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, effective 12 March 2007.
“Gary has demonstrated an exceptional ability to help the organisations he has worked for to generate superior value by supporting the successful execution of their business strategies with the development and implementation of sophisticated financial strategies,” says Prince. “He has distinguished himself as one of the leading chief financial officers in business today, most recently through his tremendous contributions to American Express’ consistent performance.”
“With global scale, scope, and a superb brand, Citi is a unique global enterprise. This may very well be the best place to serve as CFO,” adds Crittenden. “Participating in the continued growth of this great company was an opportunity I felt I simply could not miss, and I could not be more pleased to join the entire Citi team at this exciting time in its long and storied history.”
Crittenden joined American Express in June 2000 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he served as a key advisor on strategic and financial matters worldwide, and represented American Express to investors, lenders, and rating agencies. In June 2005, he gained responsibility for Global Network Services, the business unit that builds and maintains partnerships with banks and other financial institutions that issue American Express-branded cards on its global network.
Prior to joining American Express, he was Chief Financial Officer of Monsanto from 1998 to 2000. He also served as CFO for Sears Roebuck & Company from 1997 to 1998 after heading Sear’s Hardware Stores business. Crittenden began his career as a consultant at Bain & Company, where he worked on a range of strategic projects in the Unites States and Germany.
Crittenden is also currently a director on the boards of UPS and Staples.
He holds a BS degree in Management from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Harvard University.