Recruiting in China

Citigroup has officially opened a new software and technology center in Dalian. The center will form part of Citicorp Software and Technology Services Limited (CSTS), a subsidiary of Citibank N.A.. A ceremony was held to mark the opening, attended by Lee Ah Boon, Country Business Manager for Citibank China, Stephen Bird, CEO of Credit Cards and Consumer Finance Japan, Aaron Ho, General Manager of CSTS, as well as senior Dalian government officials.

The CSTS Dalian center is positioned to support both Software Application Development and Maintenance and Business Process Outsourcing services to a wide range of Citigroup businesses in Asia and around the world. The new center is located in the Development Zone half an hour's drive from the city, and will have an employment capacity of about 300 professionals.

"It is exciting to be expanding our presence to the vibrant city of Dalian, an important city in which we look forward to playing an active role as we continue to consolidate our presence in China," said Mr. Lee Ah-Boon.

In the next three years the CSTS Dalian center is expected to expand to support different Citigroup business units throughout the region and globally, especially those requiring Japanese or Korean language capabilities. Aaron Ho, General Manager of CSTS, said, "We are very pleased to be opening this state-of-the-art center in Dalian. With its strong language capability, professional talent pool, and its support for foreign investment, Dalian represents a great fit with our business."

Lin Hua, Deputy-Secretary General, said, "We are very pleased to have Citigroup opening a new center in our city and our Development Zone. We believe Citigroup's presence here will provide a significant boost to our reputation as a technology sector and will help train and nurture local IT talent. We are committed to providing an excellent environment for CSTS Dalian center, and we wish it all the best of success."

The establishment of the Dalian center reflects Citigroup's continued efforts to contribute to the development of Chinese IT industry. In April 2004 the Citigroup Financial IT Education Program was established, designed to increase local financial IT talent and support the development of China's finance sector. The program benefits students from 20 major universities in China, including Dalian University of Foreign Languages and Dalian University of Technology. CSTS also provides internship opportunities for participating students and offers them outstanding career and growth opportunities.

CSTS was established in 2002 to provide software development and related technical services with the goal to participate in and support the development of China's information technology industry. Headquartered in Shanghai, CSTS has branches in Guangzhou and Zhuhai in addition to Dalian. CSTS currently has more than 1600 employees in all three branches, about 75% of whom are software developers.
Re-disseminated by The Asian Banker