Citigroup Strengthens Infrastructure Banking Team With Hire of JPMorgan Veteran Vlad Ivanov

Citigroup has added another senior banker to its rapidly expanding investment‑banking roster, hiring Vlad Ivanov from JPMorgan as co‑head of infrastructure investment banking for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The move marks the latest step in Citi’s aggressive campaign to rebuild its dealmaking franchise and sharpen its competitive edge in one of the fastest‑growing sectors of global finance.

Ivanov will lead the EMEA infrastructure group alongside Akash Balani, a longtime Citi banker who has spent nearly two decades at the firm. Together, the pair will oversee advisory and financing activity across energy transition, digital infrastructure, transportation, and other capital‑intensive sectors that have become central to global investment flows.

The appointment continues a clear pattern under Vis Raghavan, Citi’s head of banking and a former senior JPMorgan executive. Since joining Citi, Raghavan has recruited a wave of former colleagues, with more than ten senior JPMorgan bankers moving to Citi after his non‑solicitation period expired. The hires reflect Citi’s ambition to regain market share after years of lagging behind Wall Street rivals.

Infrastructure has emerged as a strategic priority for the bank. Governments and private investors across Europe and the Middle East are pouring capital into renewable energy, grid modernization, data centers, and transport upgrades—areas where Ivanov brings deep experience from his tenure at JPMorgan, one of the sector’s most active advisers.

Citi’s investment‑banking division has shown early signs of momentum. The firm reported a 13% rise in investment‑banking fees in the second quarter of 2025, and it climbed to fourth globally in M&A revenue during the first half of the year. Strengthening its infrastructure practice is seen as a key lever for sustaining that trajectory.

Market observers will now watch how Ivanov and Balani position Citi in upcoming mandates across the region, and whether the bank continues its targeted hiring spree in other high‑growth verticals. The move also intensifies the ongoing talent rivalry between Citi and JPMorgan, which has become one of the most closely watched dynamics in global banking.