Canada's Top 100 Employers (2025) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 28
28
( 2025 )
SPONSOR CONTENT
Diversity of talent connects Citi to the globe
A
leta Froemmel has spent
her entire career at Citi
Canada, beginning as a
human resources assistant
23 years ago. Now, she is the bank’s
country human resources officer.
“It takes a village. You never get
there alone, and the village I’ve
had at Citi has been extraordinary,”
Froemmel says. “Our franchise
in Canada continues to grow and
develop.”
That growth is also global because
of Citi’s diverse and high-achieving
talent base, she adds.
“Citi is on a journey to deliver
the best service to our clients.”
— Cedrick Parize
Chief Auditor
“We’ve been recognized as having
access to amazing, unparalleled
talent who work on global initiatives,
some of which also support Canada,
but they are global teams,” says
Froemmel.
Cedrick Parize, chief auditor, has
only been in Canada since early
September, but he joined Citi in
London, U.K., more than two years
ago.
“Citi has been expanding its
footprint in Canada with roles that
serve its global business,” he says.
Citi has operations in 180
countries, but its main focus is on
some 90-plus nations where it has
a broad variety of businesses. “Citi
tremendously values joining the dots
for our clients and offering the best
service. More importantly, when it
comes to Citi’s value proposition, it’s
an incredibly diverse firm,” he adds.
The fact that Canada is so
welcoming to a diverse population
with varied cultural backgrounds
makes it a great match for Citi, Parize
notes. “This is translated into the
service that we provide to our clients
and that’s one of Citi’s greatest
values. Diversity is what makes it
such a unique bank.”
Parize is also head of one of Citi’s
North American audit hubs. The
firm opened an office in Toronto
for auditors, expecting 60 to join,
but within months it swelled to 260
members.
Parize says, “Citi is on a journey
to deliver the best service to our
clients.”
In Canada, that journey often
begins in the Greater Toronto Area
(GTA). “We’re really fortunate in the
GTA to have access to an incredible
talent pool. That speaks to the
youth, the schools, the universities,
the colleges in the area and all of
the other organizations,” Froemmel
says. “It’s really just the diversity of
talent as well as the strength of the
education system.”
Parize agrees. “There’s a depth of
skills. More importantly, Toronto
and the GTA are attracting more and
more large global firms.”
People are drawn to Citi because
of its global nature and the diverse
workforce, says Froemmel.
“We have access to other world
areas to learn from and gain different perspectives, ideas and thoughts
that broaden our experiences,” she
says. “There’s nothing more exciting
than to get on a call that starts with
‘Good morning, good afternoon,
good evening, everyone.’”
Froemmel adds, “Diversity is
such an amazing connector across
the world, across oceans, across
Citi is committed to prioritizing diversity in all aspects of its hiring
practices.
geographies. It creates one team,
and we get insight into another way
of approaching an issue. That’s the
strength helping us attract the very
best talent.”
Citi invests a lot in its diversity,
equity and inclusion program,
1
paid day a year for volunteer work
Froemmel says. One example is its
approach to ensuring diverse lists
of qualified candidates and diverse
interview panels. “We ensure a
range of thought, of perspective
and of experience as we evaluate
candidates.” ¢
$
650,000
given in 2024 to fight homelessness
