Excellence in leadership in North America 2020: Citi

As of late June 2020, Citi, together with its charitable Citi Foundation, had committed some $100 million to Covid-19 relief efforts. While the targets of its aid are varied, the bank has made a special focus on supporting people and communities of colour, recognizing the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on these communities.

Individual employees at the bank have played their part, donating some $2 million to the efforts, which Citi has matched through its Double the Good programme.

“Covid-19 has changed our thinking of how we can have the most impact,” says Brandee McHale, head of Citi Community Investing and Development. “We are 100% convinced that we cannot approach society’s issues in silos if we want to create resilient communities.

“The health crisis is an economic crisis, which is a housing crisis, which is an education crisis… In order to drive systemic change, we have to start thinking beyond verticals and look at broader outcomes.”