Citibank has named Kaustubh Kulkarni as the new co-head of investment banking for Asia-Pacific, strengthening its leadership in a region seeing growing deal activity. Kulkarni, a finance veteran with nearly 28 years at JPMorgan, is set to join Citigroup in December 2025, pending regulatory approvals. He will be based in Singapore and share leadership duties with Jan Metzger, Citi’s current Asia-Pacific head of investment banking.
Kulkarni’s Experience and Career Highlights
- Over 28 years at JPMorgan with key roles including:
- Senior Country Officer for India
- Vice Chair for Asia Pacific
- Head of Investment Banking, India
- Co-Head of Southeast Asia Investment Banking
- Proven expertise in cross-border deals, capital markets, and mergers & acquisitions.
- Has driven major transactions across sectors like technology, infrastructure, finance, and healthcare.
Strategic Importance for Citibank
Kulkarni’s appointment is part of Citi’s plan to expand its investment banking reach in key Asia-Pacific markets including Japan, North Asia, Australia, and South Asia. This move reflects the bank’s focus on ramping up corporate advisory, capital raising, and strategic transactions amid rising IPOs, M&A, and private equity activity in the region.
Additional Key Regional Hires at Citibank
- Vikram Chavali: Managing Director and Head of Global Asset Managers for Japan, Asia, and Australia. Formerly at Goldman Sachs, based in Hong Kong.
- Deepak Dangayach: Managing Director and Co-Head of Debt Capital Markets for Asia and Australia, emphasizing growth in fixed income and bond issuance.
Quick Takeaways for Competitive Exams
- Kaustubh Kulkarni appointed co-head of investment banking, Asia-Pacific at Citibank.
- Has nearly three decades of experience at JPMorgan, including leadership roles in India and Asia Pacific.
- Base location: Singapore.
- Part of Citibank’s push to grow in IPOs, M&A, and capital markets across Asia-Pacific.
- Other hires: Vikram Chavali (Global Asset Managers Head), Deepak Dangayach (Debt Capital Markets).
