Entrepreneurial Acumen Displayed at Citi-Amcham Young Enterprise Day in Malaysia

Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citi's trademark red arc include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Citi Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

Young Enterprise Program
The Young Enterprise (YE) Program was introduced in 1989 as a community education program, which enables Malaysian Form-4 students (16-year olds) to become entrepreneurs, by creating and managing their own “companies”. Through this program, these future leaders gain valuable skills in business acumen, teamwork, and personal development. The YE Program inculcates the entrepreneur spirit and is recognized and supported by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development.


	Printer Friendly Page		FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) April 05, 2007 Entrepreneurial Acumen Displayed at Citi-Amcham Young Enterprise Day in Malaysia Kuala Lumpur – Sharp business acumen was very much on display at the recent launch of the Citi-American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Young Enterprise (YE) Day as more than 50 students from SMJK Katholik and SMK USJ 13 bravely took on the crowd at Menara Citibank with their goods displayed, ready to be sold. As part of the Young Enterprise (YE) program under the leadership of AMCHAM, Citigroup is sponsoring students from SMJK Katholik and SMK USJ 13 to further hone and display their entrepreneurial skills. The CitiBusiness team advised students from SMJK Katholik while the Commercial Banking Group mentored the participants from SMK USJ 13. The Citi-AMCHAM YE program is supported by the Citigroup Foundation, which supports programs in the areas of Financial Education, Educating the Next Generation and Building Communities and Entrepreneurs. Piyush Gupta, Citi Country Officer & Chief Executive Officer of Citibank Berhad said, “The Young Enterprise program provides an ideal platform for students to develop an entrepreneurial edge and build their critical thinking skills. It helps teach our young people responsibility, financial literacy, integrity, hard work and other life skills needed to succeed. At the same time, it also provides these young entrepreneurs with an avenue to have fun but yet obtain insights and shrewd business acumen. We are also excited to share the vast experience of our professionals in the SME business, mainly the CitiBusiness and the Commercial Banking Group in mentoring these students in developing a winning product, coupled with a sound business strategy.” In a recent survey of 154 small businesses and professionals (SBP) in Malaysia conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by CitiBusiness, results did indicate that the shortage of skilled staff was a concern of almost a third of the respondents while 49% plan to eventually hand over to professional managers as they lack the necessary managerial skills to operate it efficiently. “The results of the survey clearly indicate that there is a need to educate and build a pool of business savvy young people who are able to think creatively and act confidently. I believe that in order to fulfill this gap, an area that would be good to build on, is to encourage apprenticeship in order to link the schools and the business world. Through this framework, the development of management skills can be promoted in order to increase the number of young people setting up their own business – fully aware of the rigors and challenges of the real world. Programs such as this seeks to provide platforms that lead to the creation of enterprises by young entrepreneurs,” added Piyush Gupta. Jeff Hurst, Executive Director of AMCHAM said, “Through this program, the students are given a chance to use their creativity and knowledge, while being mentored and advised by experienced professionals like those from CitiBusiness and Commercial Banking Group, to develop critical thinking and innovative strategies that are crucial to success in the business world.” Over the years, Citi has been encouraged with the commitment and dedication exhibited by the students from the various schools. It has continuously been one of the main sponsors of the YE program as it has seen great development with the students – their ability to withstand challenges, and their creativity with their amazing ideas and innovation. Commented Piyush: “They become so charged up with the spirit to succeed, they are flexible, adaptable and very responsive to opportunities. It’s really fulfilling to see how they are able to survive and thrive as a real business entity!” # # # Citi Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citi's trademark red arc include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Citi Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com. Young Enterprise Program The Young Enterprise (YE) Program was introduced in 1989 as a community education program, which enables Malaysian Form-4 students (16-year olds) to become entrepreneurs, by creating and managing their own “companies”. Through this program, these future leaders gain valuable skills in business acumen, teamwork, and personal development. The YE Program inculcates the entrepreneur spirit and is recognized and supported by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development.