Citigroup faces a lawsuit from a former executive alleging mishandling of sexual harassment claims, after a senior female leader accused the bank of failing to protect her and instead forcing her out of the company.
Former Executive Alleges Harassment by Senior Leader
Citigroup (C.N) is facing a lawsuit filed Monday in Manhattan federal court by Julia Carreon, a former managing director and global head of platform and experiences. Carreon claims she was pushed out of the bank after enduring sexual harassment from Andy Sieg, the executive who leads Citigroup’s wealth management division and is considered one of the company’s most influential leaders.
According to the complaint, Carreon joined the team in October 2023, shortly after Sieg began his role. Initially, she says Sieg was supportive and played a role in helping her secure a promotion. However, she alleges that this professional support quickly turned into what she described as an “unrelenting and egregious” pattern of sexual harassment, manipulation, and grooming.
Claims of Retaliation and HR Misconduct
Carreon alleges that after she raised concerns, Citigroup’s human resources department turned against her rather than addressing the misconduct. She claims HR became “weaponized” and worked to remove her from the organization, reflecting what she described as the bank’s long-standing pattern of bias and mistreatment toward women.
The lawsuit states that this internal pressure campaign ultimately led to her departure from the bank in June 2024.
Citigroup has strongly denied the allegations. In a statement, the bank said the lawsuit is entirely without merit and that it plans to contest the claims through the legal system. Andy Sieg is not named as a defendant in the case, and attorneys representing Carreon did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Bank Faces Multiple Harassment-Related Lawsuits
Carreon is seeking unspecified damages, citing racial discrimination under federal law, as well as racial and sexual discrimination under New York state and city statutes.
Her lawsuit is not the only one Citigroup is currently defending. The bank is also involved in another legal case brought by managing director Ardith Lindsey, who alleges that a separate supervisor made violent threats and that Citigroup maintains a pervasive culture of sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
Reports of Intimidation and Workplace Concerns
Previous media reports have raised concerns about Sieg’s leadership style. Bloomberg News and the Financial Times reported last year that multiple employees, including both men and women, accused Sieg of intimidating behavior and sidelining staff members. Sieg declined to comment to the Financial Times and did not respond to Bloomberg’s requests for comment at the time.
Citigroup is the third-largest bank in the United States by assets and the largest major U.S. bank led by a woman, Chief Executive Officer Jane Fraser. Sieg is regarded as one of Fraser’s most high-profile hires.
Allegations of Unequal Treatment
In her complaint, Carreon states that Sieg treated her noticeably differently from her male colleagues. She alleges he frequently called and texted her several times a week and shared sensitive internal information with her.
She also claims that he insisted she sit close to him during meetings and suggested to others that they had a personal relationship. In one incident described in the lawsuit, Sieg allegedly told two male colleagues—while Carreon was present—that he and Carreon shared a “secret song” by the rock band Kings of Leon, a comment that reportedly made the room uncomfortable and silent.
Breakdown of Relationship and Exit From the Bank
Carreon says Sieg abruptly stopped communicating with her in May 2024, around the time she learned that HR was investigating claims accusing her of bullying and implying that her career advancement was due to “special access” to Sieg.
According to the lawsuit, Carreon believed the investigation was designed to discredit her and protect senior male leadership. The complaint states that she felt the outcome was predetermined and that the bank ultimately succeeded in forcing her out.
