Sunil Sreenivasan unexpectedly passed away on 5th December 2005, just three weeks short of his 55th birthday. He was found in his apartment in Budapest, which served as his residence while being Citigroup Country Officer (CCO) for Hungary and Division Executive for the Central Europe Division of Citigroup Corporate and Investment Bank.
The cause of Sunil’s untimely death was heart failure. He had a heart condition for which he had received treatment at the Mayo clinic in the U.S. in 2003. On that December day, his heart inexplicably stopped beating.
He is survived by his wife, Melissa, and his grown children, son Raoul and daughter Tamara.
His death surprised his family, friends and colleagues globally as he was a man who exercised daily and who had maintained a...
Sunil Sreenivasan unexpectedly passed away on 5th December 2005, just three weeks short of his 55th birthday. He was found in his apartment in Budapest, which served as his residence while being Citigroup Country Officer (CCO) for Hungary and Division Executive for the Central Europe Division of Citigroup Corporate and Investment Bank.
The cause of Sunil’s untimely death was heart failure. He had a heart condition for which he had received treatment at the Mayo clinic in the U.S. in 2003. On that December day, his heart inexplicably stopped beating.
He is survived by his wife, Melissa, and his grown children, son Raoul and daughter Tamara.
His death surprised his family, friends and colleagues globally as he was a man who exercised daily and who had maintained a healthy diet. While he enjoyed the occasional wine, cigar and his favorite Chinese fried rice and Kit Kat chocolates, it was never excessive to lead to such a premature death.
Tall and trim with a swimmer’s physique, Sunil posed an Adonis-like figure with matching charm, dispelling the perception of bankers being staid and uninteresting. On the contrary, Sunil attracted attention and created curiosity, especially amongst the business and financial media not used to such finesse amongst bankers. One Singapore newspaper quipped that he brought “pizazz” to the boring state of affairs in local banking.
He made a marked presence wherever he was posted in his Citigroup career spanning 20 years. He would step into a room full of bankers, clients or even regulators - impeccably dressed in elegant double-breasted woolen suits of British and Italian makes - and make everyone feel awed yet comfortable in his presence. His sense of humor, sharp wit, worldly knowledge and strategic mind in all matters of finance and business impressed many, including competitors in the financial services sector.
His leadership style was particularly impressive. Combining his great communications skills, his natural empathy and an unrelenting focus on people, he earned kudos across the rungs of the Citi businesses he led. He stoutly believed that every person is capable of great things. When they underperform it was often because management had assigned them the wrong job, as he would repeatedly tell his direct reports and even his bosses. As illustration, he once said, “In football, you can’t force a striker to play in a full-back position. He will make mistakes, be miserable and the team as a whole may lose and be miserable.”
He was also a keen listener. He was famous for his “pulse lunches” where groups of 20 people or so would have a no-holds-barred dialogue on anything pertaining to the business. Junior and senior colleagues alike could criticize or question company policy, strategy and practices without hesitation and fear of reprisal. Often the sessions started with silence, progressed to pregnant pauses and in a matter of minutes shifted gear into robust discussion. Such was Sunil’s ability in extracting people’s inner voices.
At his weekly team gatherings and quarterly staff dialogues Sunil would report on all developments, issues and strategies using a “scorecard” where every aspect of the business was measured and reported, including customer and employee satisfaction levels. He believed in transparency and accountability in order to build trust and loyalty with colleagues as well as clients. At these gatherings, too, he would regale staff with personal stories and family holiday experiences, especially treasured memories from his annual summer pilgrimage to Capri on Italy’s western coast.
Sunil first joined Citigroup in 1984 and over the next decade held various senior roles in shipping and aviation finance in the United States. In 1994 he was appointed CCO for Malaysia, based in Kuala Lumpur, and went on to become CCO for Singapore (1998) and Poland (2003) until his transfer to regional role in Hungary in 2005.
Charles Prince, then the Chief Executive Officer of Citigroup, commented: "Sunil Sreenivasan was a great leader and friend to many inside and outside of Citigroup. He was known for his ability to connect with people at all levels and from all backgrounds. Sunil was both a gifted manager and a trusted friend to many of our colleagues and clients around the world. We will miss him, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family."
Sunil was born and raised in India. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Delhi. He then moved to the U.K. to obtain a Masters Degree from the University of Oxford. He was also made a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Despite his learned background and his meteoric career, he always remained a humble and caring man, and extremely devoted to his family.
After his 2003 surgery in the Mayo clinic followed by months of rest and recuperation, Sunil returned to work in Citigroup Singapore with the same enthusiasm and vigor, although he was clearly shaken by the entire episode. Minutes after stepping into his office and reading the many greeting cards and messages, he instructed his secretary to organize his various staff pulse lunches. He was back to his usual self and there was no stopping his passion and determination to continue from where he had left off.
He remains fondly remembered by many friends and colleagues in Citigroup Singapore, Singapore’s financial services sector and elsewhere in the Citigroup global footprint.
The Sunil Sreenivasan Scholarship, valued at SGD 125,000, grants $8,000 annually to one final-year student from any degree program in the Singapore Management University. The scheme continues to receive donations from well-wishers to sustain the Sunil Sreenivasan legacy in Singapore and beyond for years to come.
Click here to download sponsorship donation form
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