Peter Babej

Peter Babej is a global financial services executive with more than three decades of leadership in banking, insurance, capital markets and financial advisory, as well as deep experience across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. 

Before retiring from Citigroup in 2024, Peter served as Chairma, Interim Head of Banking, and, until 2023, Chief Executive Officer of Citi Asia-Pacific, where he led operations across multiple markets and oversaw a workforce of approximately 70,000 employees. During his tenure in Asia, he guided the organization through transformational changes, including the expansion of wealth management and the divestiture of consumer banking operations across the region. 

Earlier in his career, Peter served as Citi’s Global Head of Financial Institutions and also held senior roles at Deutsche Bank and Lazard, advising on landmark mergers, acquisitions and capital markets transactions, with a particular focus on financial services, insurance and reinsurance clients. 

Since 2025, Peter has served as a director of East West Bancorp (NYSE: EWBC).

Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, as well as a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and a Doctor of Philosophy from Harvard University’s Department of Government.