Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking Coverage for Public Sector, Citigroup
Even with more than 30 years of experience in banking, Julie Monaco still finds value in the advice a mentor passed on to her as a young, rising executive.
“Early in my career I often made the mistake of wanting to solve a problem and getting to the ‘right’ answer quickly,” she said. “I was not in tune to whether that discovery process embarrassed anyone in the room. My mentor imparted, ‘no matter how wrong someone is, always let them leave the room with their dignity intact; you don’t need to expose someone else’s mistakes or ignorance in front of others.’”
If anything, “this is a lesson that has become even more important the more senior the role,” said Monaco, now the global head of corporate and investment banking coverage for the public sector at Citigroup.
The ability to exercise tact and diplomacy in a room full of outsize egos is particularly helpful to Monaco, whose position frequently places her in direct contact with very senior government officials around the globe.
It also helps smooth the way for groundbreaking new projects. Over the past year, Monaco has led Citi’s efforts to develop innovative financing plans for governments looking to “de-dollarize” their foreign debts and helped governments navigate the issuance of new green, social, and sustainability bonds.
It’s also, no doubt, one of the reasons why the International Financing Review recently named Citi’s public sector banking operations the “Bank of the Year for Governments.”
