Citi Group has announced it has appointed former eBay chief data officer, Zoher Karu, to the position of head of data and analytics, Asia Pacific.
 

Karu will report to Anand Selva, Citi’s head of consumer banking for Asia Pacific.

In his new role, Karu will oversee Citi’s data and analytics capabilities and customer insights across the group’s Asia Pacific consumer banking business – covering 17 of Citi’s 19 consumer banking markets worldwide.

Karu will be responsible for driving the use of data to deliver customer value and business growth, Citi said. “As an example, by leveraging insights, Citi will be able to further customise merchant offers specific to customers based on their banking behaviour and location.”

Commenting on Karu’s appointment, Selva said the ex-eBay CDO will form a key part of the Citi’s digital transformation strategy.

“To be Asia’s best digital bank, we need to offer remarkable client experiences that set us apart and that are locally relevant to our target customers,” Selva said. “Data and technology are critical enablers to build these capabilities and create and offer real-time experiences that are hyper-personalised, contextual and highly relevant to our customers.”

Karu previously served as eBay’s chief data officer, joining the company in 2013 as its first vice president of customer optimisation and data. Prior to eBay, Karu was VP of marketing analytics and insight at retailer Sears Holdings. He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

“Across these roles, Zoher led the effort to leverage technology to organise data and uncover in-depth insights to deepen customer engagement and loyalty and generate growth,” Citi said.