Citi installs regional trade heads amidst supply chain realignments

Geopolitical tensions and supply chain realignment are reshaping trade patterns, Citi said.

Citi made new leadership appointments for its Trade and Working Capital Solutions business, including new trade heads for JANA, Asia South, and MEA regions.

Manish Bajaj is appointed head of trade for Japan, Asia North, and Australia (JANA). He has been with Citi for over 20 years, joining in 2005, and was most recently head of corporate banking for the Philippines.

Shalin Shroff is the new head of trade for Asia South. Shroff was most recently head of trade and working capital sales for Asia South and has spent two decades working at Citi.

Amir Khan is appointed head of trade for the Middle East and Africa (MEA). Khan was previously CCO and banking head for Qatar, as well as cluster head for corporate banking across Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Pakistan. He started his career at ABN AMRO in 2001 and joined Citi in Pakistan in 2007.

The appointments come as Citi’s research recorded an over 50% growth in trade flows between North and East Asia and the Middle East and Africa, according to the announcement on 14 September 2026.

Geopolitical tensions and supply chain realignment are reshaping trade patterns and increasing demand for risk mitigation, working capital and trade finance solutions across the region, according to Citi.

As supply chains become more diversified and investment flows shift, markets across Asia, the Middle East and Africa are taking on an increasingly important role in connecting global commerce, said Adoniro Cestari, global head of trade and working capital solutions, Citi Services.

Cestari said that Khan’s, Shroff’s, and Bajaj’s appointments position Citi to support clients across what he calls increasingly important trade corridors whilst continuing to grow the Citi franchise in markets where the bank sees significant long-term opportunity.