Rajen Shah: The Kenyan pharmacy dropout driving Citi’s global tech transition
Rajen Shah, a former pharmacy student, has risen to become the global COO for technology at Citi. He is currently navigating the banking industry's transition toward AI-driven digital services while balancing the need for institutional trust.
Why it matters
Shah's career path illustrates the rapid transformation of the banking sector as it integrates advanced technology to compete with digital-only neobanks.
When Rajen Shah left Kenya after Form Four to further his studies, he had his sights set on a career in pharmacy. But he dropped out to venture into banking with only high school education.
“I moved to the UK to study pharmacy, and even worked at one for a year, but I didn’t quite like it. I was trying to decide whether to continue pursuing pharmacy when I started applying for jobs in a lot of places, as we all do. That’s how a role came about at State Street [State Street Bank UK]. I started on an apprenticeship, but I now have a degree and an MBA from the London Business School,” he tells the BDLife .
Today, Rajen is Citi’s global chief operating officer (COO) for technology and business enablement. He is at the core of the technological shift happening in banking.
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