A former Citigroup managing director has sued the bank, claiming that she was forced out of the company after facing sexual harassment from one of its top executives, Andy Sieg. Julia Carreon filed a lawsuit against Citigroup Inc. and Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. in Manhattan on January 26, alleging race and sex discrimination and a hostile work environment, among other things.
Julia Carreon’s allegations
Julia Carreon worked in Citi’s wealth management division between 2021 and 2024. According to a Wall Street Journal report, she has alleged that Andy Sieg, Citi’s head of wealth, displayed sexually charged behaviour towards her. She also claims that Sieg failed to dispel rumours of an inappropriate relationship between them.
Carreon, who lives in Texas, said Citi recruited her in August 2021 as a Program Function Group Head — a managing director role — to help lead a digital transformation for a newly created wealth management division. The unit was a key part of CEO Jane Fraser’s core strategy.
In her lawsuit, Carreon alleged that she was sidelined during her first two years at the company. She said this changed after Sieg joined Citi in 2023, following which she was encouraged and later appointed global head of platform and experiences.
What Andy Sieg did, according to Carreon
In her complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Carreon said Sieg initially supported her and helped her secure a promotion shortly after he took on his role in October 2023. This was followed by what she described as a “campaign of unrelenting and egregious sexual harassment, manipulation, and grooming.”
{{/usCountry}}In her complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Carreon said Sieg initially supported her and helped her secure a promotion shortly after he took on his role in October 2023. This was followed by what she described as a “campaign of unrelenting and egregious sexual harassment, manipulation, and grooming.”
{{/usCountry}}According to the lawsuit, Carreon alleges that Sieg called and texted her several times a week, including late at night. She also claims he insinuated in front of colleagues that the two were intimate and insisted she sit near him during meetings, even though she did not report directly to him. Carreon alleges that these actions led other employees to falsely believe she had been promoted because of an affair with Sieg — suspicions she says he did not deny.
HR sided with accused, claims Carreon
Carreon further alleged that the bank's "weaponized" human resources department tried to force her out. She said this was "consistent with HR's perpetuating Citi's decades-long history of bias and harassment against women,"
Carreon said that HR’s own campaign against her lasted until she left in June 2024.
Citigroup responds
Citigroup on Tuesday forcefully rejected Carreon’s accusations, saying that her case belongs in arbitration.
The third-largest US bank petitioned the federal court in Austin, Texas, to move Julia Carreon's case behind closed doors, one day after the former head of wealth platforms and experiences sued Citigroup for unspecified damages in Manhattan.
Citigroup said in a statement: “This lawsuit has absolutely no merit and we will demonstrate that through the legal process.”
(With inputs from Bloomberg and Reuters)