Citigroup is beefing up leadership in its consumer card lending operations by recruiting Chase exec Pam Habner — credited with engineering the success of Chase’s Sapphire Reserve card — and former Citi exec Chris Fred, who will return after several months of working at Goldman Sachs on Apple Card products.
The moves, which include other new hires and exec reassignments, are part of a plan to focus Citi’s consumer and card lending strategy around mobile technology and emerging geographic markets, Citi execs said in a Tuesday memo to employees.
Habner (formerly Pam Codispoti), has been head of U.S. branded cards at Chase since 2014 and previously worked at Amex for almost 12 years. Habner will head Citi's U.S. branded cards beginning July 1, the memo said.
Habner takes over for Craig Vallorano, head of Citi’s U.S. private-label card operations, who’s also been leading U.S. cards since Ralph Andretta moved to Alliance Data last fall, where he's now
Fred, hired away from Citi last fall by Goldman Sachs to lead the product team at Apple Card, returns to Citi in early June as head of its proprietary products and loyalty portfolio. His new role is similar to his old job at Citi where he spearheaded development of Citi’s Double Cash, Rewards+ and other lending products.
Citi also hired Amex’s global head of consumer lending, Kartik Mani, to head Citi cards and loans in North Asia beginning July 1; while Sergio Zanatti, head of cards in Asia Pacific, will move to the U.S. to lead lending. Zanatti will report to Habner and Vallorano, according to the memo.
