Story 29
I exited my role in Citi’s private wealth management due to a fundamental misalignment with leadership practices, organizational values, and the absence of meaningful opportunities for advancement. Despite receiving consistently top performance evaluations over multiple years, advancement opportunities were repeatedly denied (with a new made up reason every year) and instead given to men who not only joined the group after me, but were lack luster at best. Promotion decisions were inconsistent with stated merit-based criteria and lacked transparency.
[When a new leader arrived in 2023], the leadership structure shifted in a way that reduced diversity of thought and experience, with senior roles increasingly concentrated among a small, homogeneous group of men aligned closely with a centralized, top-down leadership style. This environment fostered a pronounced power distance between leadership and staff, discouraging open dialogue and critical challenge.
There was a persistent emphasis on optics and self-promotion over ethical decision-making, including selective use of data and narratives to enhance senior visibility. Repeated actions conflicted with the organization’s publicly stated values and ethics standards.
Concerns raised regarding inequitable treatment and potential bias, including issues related to gender, age, and race, were not substantively addressed and did not result in corrective action. The overall culture increasingly rewarded compliance over integrity and discouraged independent thought.
Ultimately, departing the organization was a necessary and positive decision.
– Good Riddance