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Reviving Urban Manufacturing - And the City I Call Home

August 19, 2014Mathilda Khabbaz, Relationship Manager for Citi Commercial Bank
Reviving Urban Manufacturing - And the City I Call Home By Mathilda Khabbaz

Timbuk2 is the latest installment in Citi's spotlight on clients who are enabling progress in their cities. Watch the full Timbuk2 story here and follow the conversation in social media using the hashtag #ProgressMakers.
San Francisco is a place that's very special to me. I've lived here since I was six years old and now, working here as a Relationship Manager at Citi, I can be part of a team that is making my city even better. One of the companies that I work with is Timbuk2, a local San Francisco company that is growing and expanding internationally. Timbuk2 manufactures custom bags right here in San Francisco and is contributing to the revival of manufacturing in the U.S.
 
So how do I go about working with a company like Timbuk2? At the simplest level, being a Relationship Manager means I sit down with my clients to understand their business and tailor financial solutions to their needs. We don't just try to understand the financials - we try to understand the company. We learn how the design process works, we sit on the manufacturing floor and see how the bags get made, and we meet the people who make them - and that's where the true relationships are built.
 
Relationships aren't built on one visit. My job goes way beyond filling out paperwork or answering a phone call here or there. We learn about the client's pain points, customize solutions for them and do everything we can to be ahead of the game so we can help them grow.
 
Timbuk2 has a passion and drive to make the best quality products and to contribute to the local economy by creating jobs and making things again here in San Francisco. They care about the city I love as much as I do. What makes me most proud is that I can deliver the best I possibly can to Timbuk2 and all my Citi clients. It's giving my all on a day-to-day basis and knowing that I have a solid team of Citi Progress Makers behind me who have the same passion, motivation and drive as I do.

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