05 April 2016
Beirut - Citigroup announced today the appointment of Michel Sawaya as Chief Executive Officer of Citibank Lebanon, replacing Elissar Farah Antonios who has assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Citibank UAE in December. 

Michel has been with Citi in Lebanon since 1995, and has held a number of senior positions during his two decades with the company. He has been serving as Head of Treasury &Trade Solutions in the country since 2007, and was also named Head of Corporate Banking in 2013.

Prior to this, Michel has also worked in the Financial Institutions Group, Internal Controls and Cash Management Operations during his time with Citi. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the American University of Beirut.

"This is an exciting assignment and an opportunity to build on the success of the local franchise," commented Michel on his appointment.  "Together with the Lebanon team, we will continue to provide the highest standards of banking service to our clients and to fulfill our role as an active member of the Lebanese banking community."

Citigroup's presence in Lebanon dates back to the 1950s when Beirut was the bank's hub for the region. Since re-establishing its fully licensed Lebanon branch in 1996, the bank has been offering a full range of corporate and investment banking services to major corporations, Public Sector entities and financial institutions operating in the country.

In addition, Citibank Lebanon is an active corporate citizen with a particular interest in supporting financial education, microfinance and capacity building through various grants provided annually to Lebanese NGOs.

"Citibank Lebanon is our oldest franchise in the region.  We are proud of our heritage and the strength of our relationship with all local stakeholders," said Atiq Rehman, Citi's Chief Executive Officer for Middle East and Africa. "Michel's diverse experience, in-depth knowledge of the local market and strong client relationships will help us take our Lebanese franchise to the next level."

Citi has been present in the Middle East and North Africa region since 1955, and offers full scale corporate and investment banking services in Egypt, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Pakistan and Iraq. Citi's institutional capabilities in the region include Treasury & Trade Solutions, Markets & Securities Services and Corporate & Investment Banking.

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About Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

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Media Contact:                    
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© Press Release 2016