Ex-Citi executive files bias and harassment lawsuit

Lawsuit targets Citi over discrimination and harassment claims

Former Citigroup executive Julia Carreon has filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan accusing the bank of race and sex discrimination and alleging severe harassment by a top wealth-management leader. Carreon, who served as global head of platform and experiences for Citi Wealth until her resignation in the summer of 2024, claims the culture and conduct she faced at the firm made it impossible for her to continue in her role.

According to the complaint, Carreon says Citi maintained a sexually discriminatory culture that, combined with a hostile work environment, forced her out. The suit focuses heavily on the conduct of Andy Sieg, the head of Citi's wealth business, who joined the bank after Carreon was hired. Sieg is not named as a defendant, but his alleged behavior forms a central part of her case against the company.

Carreon, a person of color with more than 14 years of prior experience at Wells Fargo, alleges that after arriving at Citi in 2021 to help overhauling the bank's digital client experience, she encountered open hostility, disrespect and contempt from certain white male colleagues. The complaint contends that senior male leaders ultimately sidelined and pushed her out, undermining the transformation mandate she had been hired to lead.

Allegations against Citi wealth chief Andy Sieg

The lawsuit accuses Sieg of orchestrating what it calls a campaign of 'unrelenting and egregious sexual harassment, manipulation and grooming' directed at Carreon. Among the specific claims, Carreon alleges Sieg suggested to colleagues that the two were engaged in a sexual relationship, which she says was false and damaging to her professional standing.

Carreon further contends that Sieg 'poisoned' her reputation within the bank, contributing to a breakdown in trust and isolating her from key decision-making. The complaint characterizes the internal processes that followed as tainted by bias, arguing that Sieg's influence shaped how others at the bank viewed and treated her. These allegations come after Sieg has faced workplace-related accusations twice in six months, according to the reporting that accompanied the lawsuit's filing.

Despite the detailed assertions, Sieg himself has not been named as a defendant. Instead, Carreon is seeking to hold Citigroup responsible for the alleged harassment and for what she describes as a failure to protect her from retaliatory treatment after she raised concerns. The suit frames her experience as emblematic of broader cultural problems inside parts of the bank's wealth division.

Disputed investigation and Carreon's departure from Citi

A key element of Carreon's claim is her description of a 'deeply misogynistic' internal investigation that she says followed her complaints. The lawsuit labels Citi's human resources function a 'weaponized' department that, rather than addressing her concerns, conducted an inquiry that left her further exposed and marginalized. The outcome, she alleges, contributed directly to her decision to resign in May 2024.

Carreon has said publicly that her legal team spent 14 months trying to resolve the dispute privately with the bank. In a LinkedIn post coinciding with the suit's filing, she wrote that Citi's lawyer 'said he welcomed a public match,' prompting her to proceed in court. She described the choice to come forward as 'life-altering' and said the events of her three years at Citi 'tapped into something non-negotiable' for her.

Before joining Citi, Carreon built her career at Wells Fargo, where she served as chief digital officer of the private bank. She has positioned the lawsuit as an effort not only to address her own treatment but also to challenge what she characterizes as systemic issues in how the institution handles complaints from women and people of color in senior roles.

Citi firmly rejects claims as legal process begins

Citigroup has strongly denied Carreon's allegations. In a statement issued the day after the complaint was filed, the bank said: 'This lawsuit has absolutely no merit and we will demonstrate that through the legal process.' The company did not address the specific claims against Sieg in its public response, focusing instead on its broader position that the case is unfounded.

The lawsuit adds to scrutiny of Citi's wealth unit at a time when large banks are under pressure to show progress on diversity and workplace protections. With the case now before a federal court in Manhattan, both sides are expected to present evidence about the internal dynamics of Citi's wealth business and the decisions that preceded Carreon's departure. No timeline for resolution has yet been set, and the bank's categorical denial sets the stage for a contested legal process.