Salman Haider, head of the UK consumer bank & international personal bank EMEA at Citi, has had an extremely impressive career. ‘I’m a bit of an accidental banker,’ he says. ‘I didn’t think I’d be a banker, but I thoroughly enjoyed client relationships, and Citi has given me a lot of incredible cross-cultural experience.’
Haider plainly loves client relationships. ‘There’s a strong element of fiduciary care and understanding of complex cross-border regulations,’ he says. He also relishes the fact that ‘clients have grown in complexity’.
He’s also prepared to embrace current trends. ‘I do believe there’s tremendous value in terms of blockchain,’ he says, although he adds that ‘it is a highly risky early stage investment opportunity especially for retail clients. It’s about comprehensibility, and you want to invest in what you want to understand.’
He argues that the bank is extremely attractive to next-gen clients – and the bank is adapting fast. ‘When we’re dealing with the son or the daughter who is taking on the business, the way we deal with them is different,’ he says. He also sees a marked increase in ethical investing among HNW clients. ‘They ask the question,’ he explains. ‘They’re not agnostic about everything a money manager is doing for them.’
Related
He is also philosophical about MiFID II: ‘It’s about protecting clients, and making sure we’re clear and transparent.’
Content from our partners
