BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : JUNE 7, 1999 ISSUE
COVER STORY

How Reed Thinks Citigroup Is Doing


THE CHECK LIST
Reed is closely monitoring the progress of Citigroup's key businesses and management processes. He thinks asset management is doing well. But he's not satisfied with other areas.

DONE   TO DO
x ASSET MANAGEMENT It's full speed ahead at the smallest of Citigroup's three main business lines. ''I'm quite comfortable that we have a decent vision,'' Reed says. ''I'm not spending any time worrying about that.''
x CORPORATE BANK Reed is asking his executives questions: Who are your customers? What are you doing for them? What kind of capital does it require? What kind of earnings volatility are you going to experience? ''This is a business-building activity,'' Reed says. ''I would say we are in the very early stages.''
x CONSUMER BANK Reed and Weill discussed strategy before doing the deal. And integration is further along than on the corporate side. ''But still, it's got to take on real form,'' Reed says.
x RISK MANAGEMENT The most important process at the company, Reed says. To combine ''very disparate risk systems,'' Citi has brought in an outsider, Petros K. Sabatacakis, most recently of American International Group.
x HUMAN RESOURCES Developing talent won't have much impact on the merger's short-term success. But it will in two to three years, says Reed. ''I don't think we want to rely on just going out in the job market and hiring people.... I put tremendous value--more than most people--on the HR function.''
x TECHNOLOGY ''The Internet is going to shape our business,'' says Reed. ''I think we need a technology overlay, to take a look at the whole company from some core archi- tectural and technology look-see. I'm looking to create a process that allows the company to be moving purposefully toward an appropriate technology archi- tecture, capability, and capacity.''
x FINANCE Reed says it's not enough to seize opportunity in the 100 countries where Citigroup does business. You also have to be able to gauge your need for capital, monitor exposures, and devise funding strategies. ''Risk, HR, tech- nology, and finance--we don't have them fully integrated yet.''


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