200 cheers for Citi

Two centuries of solid banking service to the world is a legacy worthy to celebrate.

For its 200th anniversary, Citi hosted a cocktail reception to celebrate its success in the Philippines and in more than 100 countries where it is present.

Citi started in 1812 in New York as a trade finance bank, enabling commerce between New York and Liverpool. Since then, the bank has been connecting clients to the world, working at the center of trade and capital flows. It was established in the Philippines in 1902, one of the first markets to be set up in Asia. Citi is the largest foreign bank in the country in terms of customers, assets, revenues and domestic branches.

The event was held during the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors in Manila. With this, Citi became the first private sector partner of ADB in its knowledge-sharing and partnership events. “Vulnerable Cities — Waking Up to the Need for Urban Disaster Management” headlined the official seminars co-presented by ADB and Citi. A video of Citi’s progress was shown, which conveyed its continuing commitment to drive progress for its clients.

Citi chairman for Asia Pacific Shengman Zhang and vice chairman of global banking and public sector group managing director Jay Collins were among the panelists at the seminars on disaster risk management, financial inclusion and modern services.

A cocktail reception capped the meeting, where Citi country officer Sanjiv Vohra was joined by Collins, public sector group head for Asia Aamir Rahim and global public sector head for Citi transaction services Filippo Sabatini in welcoming Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Gov. Nestor Espenilla Jr. and Philippine Stock Exchange president and CEO Hans Sicat. Heritage towers and historical artifacts were on display, giving guests a glimpse of Citi’s history.

Vohra said, “Citi is proud to celebrate its legacy of success for 200 years and what is a better way to do this than by saying thank you to our clients and business partners who continue to reward us with their trust and loyalty? Today, Citi is one of the best capitalized banks in the world and we can put our financial strength to work for our clients whether they are governments, multinationals, small businesses or individuals. Citi has a clear strategy and is well-positioned for the future.”

Beyond the velvet rope

Glitz and glamour reigned supreme when the country’s top direct sellers were honored by Tupperware Brands with a Hollywood-inspired awards ceremony and a seminar on beauty and personality development.

Through the red carpet gala and awards ceremony dubbed Beyond the Velvet Rope, the company recognized its independent business managers who have excelled in cosmetics, fragrances and toiletry sales. The event was emceed by top dealers Evelyn Tabaniag and Miriam Saltin.

Chit Nonescan of Calapan branch received the Top Nationwide Beauty Seller Award while Cebu was named the Top Branch in cosmetics, fragrances and toiletry sales. Lilibeth Campos earned the Miss Colour Collection title.

Bea Alonzo, the face of Colour Collection, made the fabulous night brighter with a song number. She also said, “We, women, have to look our best all the time. One way to perk up and have confidence is through makeup. That is why I am thankful and proud to be with Colour Collection for three years now.”

To further strengthen their direct selling skills, the top dealers were welcomed to the Beauty Academy presented by the brand’s premier cosmetic line Colour Collection. The training program equipped them to improve their personality and confidence.

The seminar was hosted by Tupperware Brands assistant brand manager for cosmetics Kriska Ramos. Chief makeup artist for Colour Collection Bianca Valerio talked about personality development. She also shared makeup tips and tricks and product-selling techniques.

The Beauty Academy also highlighted the makeup brand’s milestone of reaching P100 million sales in 2011.

(Log on to www.tupperwarebrands.ph, e-mail [email protected] or call 867-2222.)