Citi Launches CCB in Japan, Appoints Head

Citi has launched Citi Commercial Bank (CCB) in Japan as part of its strategy to launch its CCB business in key growth markets across specific clusters where the bank can grow at scale; and it has recently appointed Yutaka Naito as the head of the business in Japan.

CCB will focus on supporting mid-sized corporates in Japan, the bank says, “through every stage of their growth journey by offering clients products and solutions that meet their strategic needs, while leveraging the power of Citi’s broad global network”.

This launch follows that of CCB in France and Ireland in 2023, as well as Germany, Switzerland and Canada in 2022.

Naito, in his role as Japan CCB head, will oversee the bank’s business and operations in the country with responsibility for driving the growth of the business, its financial performance, and building new client relationships.

He will also work closely with Citi’s markets, services and broader banking businesses to deliver its full suite of products and solutions to CCB clients. Naito joined Citi as treasury and trade solutions Japan corporate and public sector sales head in 2019.

Following the launch in Japan, CCB now serves clients in 12 markets in Asia, including Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

“Citi is dedicated to supporting mid-sized companies with their growth journey,” adds Gunjan Kalra, CCB’s head of Japan, Asia North, Australia and Asia South. “Japan is home to many new and innovative companies, with global linkages and cross-border business needs.”