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Hired in London in 1999 as a Citibank management associate, she started at the country management division, where she worked through numerous departments like risk management, remote channel marketing (Internet banking), operations (the currency management unit), treasury and financial control.
Next, she joined the treasury department in 2000 as portfolio manager for almost two years. Then as insurance product manager in March 2003, she helped launch the bank's first investment-linked product. She was also selected to be on the steering committee responsible for the launch of Citibanking, a banking service targeted at those with investable assets of between $50,000 and $200,000.
In September last year, she was selected to join the Global Talent Associates Programme conducted out of the US CitiCards business in New York.
Of her six-month attachment there, Ms Tan said: 'The heartbeat of the credit cards business is in the US. Now, back in the local cards business, I am in a better position to contribute.'
According to Ms Tan, the beauty of the MA programme is that it allowed her to work through the different disciplines within the bank, locally or internationally. MAs can learn from regional and international resources and systems, adapt the best practices and business models in other markets and implement them locally.
She has this advice for those keen on the Citibank MA programme: 'Be a generalist as the start of your career. Don't narrow your focus to just one field. Once you have achieved the breadth and foundation, you can choose your field of specialisation.'
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Jafri Mohamed is a freelance writer.