Citi's equities professionals are complaining about two current employees

efinancialcareers.com:

Citi is in the middle of a major restructuring that will ultimately see 20,000 of global employees disappear. Some of the people it seemingly intends to keep, though, are at the center of complaints about the culture in its equities sales and trading division. 

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Bloomberg's latest article decrying the historic culture in Citi's equities business cites two senior people who are current in key positions: Salima Habib and Fater Belbachir. 

Habib, who was promoted to oversee equity sales in North America at Citi in January 2024, is accused by Bloomberg of having downplayed a junior employee's complaint about being asked to shorten her skirt and to wear high heels while fielding inquiries from male employees about her love life. Bloomberg says the junior claimed that Habib advised her to talk to a manager, to confront the man directly, or to try meditation but that going through HR would be arduous. Citi declined to comment for this article, but a spokesman told Bloomberg that the comments from the anonymous sources on Habib had been,«mischaracterized and are not consistent with her record of supporting and empowering women throughout her career.”

Bloomberg's latest piece also refers to the complaints made by Citigroup Ardith Lindsey against London-based Fater Belbachir, the bank's global head of equities. Belbachir is not a defendant in Lindsey's case, but she claims that he helped to create a sexist environment in Citi's trading business, which included supporting Lindsey's abusive ex and her superior, Citi MD Mani Singh. Citi told Bloomberg: “The reference to Mr. Belbachir is based on an unsubstantiated claim in a lawsuit that Citi is strongly contesting.”

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