James Holder

James Holder is Head of Citi Private Bank for UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa, leading a critical region for Citi Global Wealth. The EMEA region accounts for approximately 25 to 30 per cent of Citi Private Bank's global clients, making it a "significant contributor" to the bank's growth. Holder operates the region as five separate businesses, with the Middle East as the largest of those five.

Holder graduated from Manchester University in 1992 with an honours degree in economics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He has worked in financial services for 29 years with a professional background in investment banking and equity research. He joined Citi Private Bank in London in 2005, initially covering clients outside London before being appointed head of Family Office EMEA in 2011 and global market manager for Northern Europe in 2012.

Career history

• Head of Private Banking, UK, Europe and the Middle East, Citi (January 2025-present)
• Global Head of Citi Private Capital Group (PCG), covering institutional wealth and family offices, Citi Private Bank
• Global Market Manager for Northern Europe, Citi Private Bank (2012)
• Head of Family Office EMEA, Citi Private Bank (2011)
• Private Banker, Citi (2005)
• Non-Executive Director, Cirrus Inns

What James Holder could bring to his expanded regional leadership: With two decades at Citi spanning private banking, family offices, and institutional wealth management across Europe and the Middle East, Holder brings deep expertise in navigating regional wealth dynamics and client relationship management. His strategic focus on the Middle East as a growth engine, combined with his ability to identify capital flows reshaping the global wealth map, positions him to drive market expansion across his expanded geographic footprint. His background in investment banking and equity research, coupled with his leadership of institutional wealth initiatives, suggests capacity to attract and retain high-net-worth clients navigating complex cross-border wealth strategies.