Ellen Alemany

Ellen Alemany
Born	Bronx, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Business executive
Years active	1977–present
Known for	Vice Chairwoman of First Citizens BancShares; former Chairwoman and CEO of CIT Group; former CEO of RBS Americas and RBS Citizens Financial Group

Ellen Rose Alemany is a prominent American business executive currently serving as Vice Chairwoman of First Citizens BancShares. She formerly held the position of chairwoman at CIT Group.

In 2020, American Banker honored her as one of the "most powerful women in banking."

Early life and education

Born and raised in the Bronx, New York by Italian immigrant parents who operated a liquor store, Alemany earned her Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Bridgeport. She launched her professional journey through legal and process engineering roles at IBM and Chase Manhattan, attending graduate classes during evenings.

Alemany obtained an MBA with a concentration in finance from Fordham University in 1980 and completed the Credit Training Program at Chase Manhattan Bank in 1981. She has also been awarded honorary doctorates by both Bryant University and Fordham University.

Career

Between 1977 and 1987, Alemany was employed at Chase Bank. She transitioned to Citibank in 1987, where she occupied various leadership roles including CEO of Global Transaction Services and executive vice president overseeing the Commercial Business Group, which encompassed CitiCapital, Commercial Markets, and Commercial Real Estate. In 2007, she was appointed chairman and CEO of RBS Americas. The following year, she became CEO of RBS Citizens Financial Group and was promoted to chairman and CEO in 2009. Alemany also served on the executive committee of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group and led CitiCapital as president and CEO. She stepped down from her chairman and CEO roles at RBS Citizens Financial Group and RBS Americas in October 2013.

After an early retirement, Alemany returned to assume the role of CEO at CIT Group in April 2016, followed by her appointment as chairwoman in May 2016. Her leadership strategy emphasized concentrating on core operations while divesting non-performing subsidiaries. She is credited with significantly enhancing female executive representation within CIT.

In 2020, First Citizens BancShares announced its acquisition of CIT for $2.2 billion. As part of this transition, Alemany was offered a vice-chair position with a $1 million annual salary plus nearly $6.9 million in guaranteed bonuses over two years, contingent upon her continued leadership.

Alemany holds board memberships with several organizations: Center for Discovery since 2008; Automatic Data Processing since 2012; Fidelity National Information Services since 2014; Operation HOPE since 2015; and Dun & Bradstreet since 2021. Her previous board service includes March of Dimes New York (2002–2010). Additionally, she is a trustee of The Conference Board, serves on Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York’s board, and acts as an advisor to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City.

Personal life

She is married to Joaquin "Jack" Alemany, with whom she has three children, including Jackie Alemany.

Awards and honors

• 2007 - Listed among Treasury and Risk's 100 Most Influential People in Finance.
• 2009 - Featured in Forbes Magazine's "One of the World's Most Powerful Women."
• 2011 - Awarded the Corporate Social Responsibility Award by the Foreign Policy Association.
• 2012 - Inducted into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame.
• 2013 - Recipient of the American Banker Lifetime Achievement Award; recognized nine times among its 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking.
• 2017 – Ranked third on American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking list.
• 2018 - Honored with the Peter G. Peterson award by the Conference Board's Committee for Economic Development.
• 2018 – Maintained the third position on American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking rankings.
• 2019 – Named a Notable Woman in Banking by Crain's New York Business; received the Women's Bond Club Merit Award; recognized by The Center for Discovery.
• 2019 – Achieved second place on American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking list.
• 2020 – Honored with the Darla Moore School of Business Center for Executive Succession Leadership Legacy Award; again featured on American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking.
• 2021 – Included among Crain's New York Business Notable Women on Wall Street.