No. 18: Elinor Hoover, Citigroup

Elinor Hoover
Vice Chairman of Capital Markets Origination and Global Co-Head of the Financial Strategy and Solutions Group, Citigroup

When Elinor Hoover isn't at the office, you'll often find her on the tennis court. But she'll still be hard at work.

Competitive tennis is a focus for her family: her 12-year-old son is a United States Tennis Association-ranked player who is determined to improve his standings.

Hoover says she's eager to improve her own status beyond the family's "ball girl" and even compete in a few club tournaments.

It's a fitting personal challenge for a woman who has excelled in the fiercely competitive finance industry.

Hoover is a 26-year investment banking veteran who had been vice chairman of global capital markets at Morgan Stanley before joining Citigroup in 2011.

In her dual role at Citi, straddling both origination and advisory groups, she focuses on spotting emerging trends that affect corporations, financial institutions and government entities, and offering advice on how to navigate what may come. Her team puts out reports on key topics in corporate finance, and one earlier this year on growth strategies generated a lot of attention from boards around the world.

The team also has begun publishing biweekly analyses of issues ranging from oil prices to corporate tax reform, with an eye toward keeping clients ahead of changes affecting them. The goal is to provide global insight that differentiates Citi and positions it as an indispensable adviser to large corporations.

As part of that effort, Hoover also is bringing in outside perspectives. At a recent conference for institutional investors, she interviewed Robert Merton, a Nobel laureate and leader on corporate finance issues, about the implications of pensions in regard to the valuation of a company and its capital structure.

Outside of work, Hoover — a Juilliard-trained pianist — serves as vice chairman of the board for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. She is also an advisory director at the Bloomington School of Music in New York.

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