The Most Powerful Women in Banking, No. 10, Jennifer Taylor, Citigroup

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Jennifer Taylor's workday spans continents, often beginning in, say, Australia and ending somewhere in Latin America. It's a rhythm that perfectly captures the global scope of her role as Citi's chief compliance officer for banking and international.

With oversight and responsibilities across 160 markets and a physical presence in over 90 countries, Taylor's work puts her at the forefront of international risk management during one of the most transformative periods in financial services.

"I genuinely, really enjoy the challenge of our global footprint," she said. "I find that fascinating."

Taylor's career began at a law firm in London, then she spent more than 23 years at Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, working across London, Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong. That international experience has proven invaluable in her current role, where she said that maintaining Citi's reputation as a safe and sound institution requires agility, resilience, and a dynamic approach to emerging challenges.

One of her most significant accomplishments in the last year has been overseeing the spinoff of some of Citi's international consumer businesses, a complex process that requires careful stewardship of long-established relationships.

"Those businesses were built up over many years in these countries with long relationships with clients and various stakeholders, so ensuring the divestitures were handled appropriately with the right level of attention and profile was really, really important to ensure that we handed off those businesses in many of those countries," she said. "And I actually think we've managed to by focusing on that important role of stewardship."

A key component of this work involved her role on the board of Banamex, formerly Citi's Mexican banking operation. Taylor played a crucial part in successfully separating Banamex from Citi's other businesses at the end of last year.

Looking ahead to next year, Taylor is focused on the compliance risks and opportunities of integrating artificial intelligence across Citi's globally spanning business. The bank is rolling out AI tools across its portfolio to thousands of employees that work across continents.

"AI, digital — a lot of those areas are at different levels of maturity in different parts of the world, and the regulatory landscape isn't always consistent," she said. "So that is where staying current, where intellectual curiosity plays quite a role."

Taylor also serves as co-global lead of Citi Women, building engagement for women across the workforce through initiatives like a "demystify" event series.

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Taylor's intellectual curiosity extends to her personal life as well. She's an avid cookbook collector, and said that she reads culinary texts like novels, using them as a cultural bridge to connect with teams during her global travels.