As part of Citi's collaboration with Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) to help expand banking and access to credit in Black communities, Citi has deepened its relationship with Unity National Bank of Houston, the only nationally chartered MDI in the country.
Gaining access to human capital is a key challenge for MDIs as they seek to grow their businesses and empower their communities. Without the right talent and expertise, community banks find it difficult to prosper in a competitive and increasingly digitized financial services market. To help address this challenge, Citi has added a rotational program to our toolkit of MDI support.
Gina Nisbeth, a director in Citigroup's trading division who helped oversee structured lending and investments, will spend a year working with Unity Bank. Working directly with the bank's CEO, Gina will help analyze its recent expansion into the Atlanta, GA market. Offering practical guidance as the bank executes its revenue growth strategy and explores emerging opportunities, Gina will support other senior staff at Unity with strategic advice, as well as help Unity build relationships nationally to pave the way for the bank's future growth.
The rotational program is a pilot and the first of its kind in the MDI community. It represents an innovative way to build the capacity of MDIs, so that they can drive meaningful, fee income business and strengthen their capitalization and deposit bases. By doing so, they can more effectively serve their communities, which are often underserved by large financial institutions. The rotational program reaffirms Citi's belief that the best way for the financial services industry to advance racial equality is by levelling the playing field. By providing access to human capital, relationships and opportunities to build capacity, the rotational program has the potential to support MDIs in their successful provision of essential financial services to Black Americans.
External Coverage:
www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2021-07-28/citigroup-s-harold-butler-on-backing-black-banks-video
