Vikram Pandit life and biography

A brilliant student all throughout his academic life and a go-getter by nature, 51 year-old Indian Vikram Pandit hogged the media limelight worldwide when he was declared as the youngest CEO of the world’s largest conglomerate, the Citigroup in 2008. The group operates as Citi and happens to be a prominent American financial services company having its base in the New York City in the United States.

Vikram Pandit was born on 14 January in 1957 at Nagpur in the state of Maharashtra in India to a reasonably prosperous Marathi Brahmin family. His schooling happened at Dadar Parsee Youths Assembly High School at Dadar in Mumbai. After this, he shifted to United States at the age of 16 and took admission in Columbia University. He acquired B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering in 1976 and 1977 respectively and a Ph.D. in finance in 1986. Vikram Pandit happens to be a trustee at the Columbia University.

Vikram Pundit also has had a stint as a professor at the Indiana University in Bloomington city in US and thereafter, joined Morgan Stanley. For the next two decades, Vikram Pandit worked for Morgan Stanley. He was anointed the President and Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of the Institutional Securities and Investment Banking Group at Morgan Stanley and was in charge of the total operation of this group. Pandit looked after aspects like the trading, sales and infrastructure of the business from the year 2000 to 2005.

However prior this, Vikram Pandit was the managing director and head of the US Equity Syndicate for Morgan Stanley from the period 1990 to 1994. Then from 1994 till 2000, he worked as the managing director (MD) and head of the Worldwide Institutional Equities Division for the same firm. The accomplished Vikram Pandit finally decided to leave Morgan Stanley Company along with some colleagues to begin a hedge fund, Old Lane Partners that was purchased by the Citigroup in the year 2007 for $800 million.

Vikram Pandit is a part of the board of the Columbia University, Columbia Business School, the Indian School of Business and The Trinity School. He also happens to be a former board member of NASDAQ, the New York City Investment Fund from the year 2000 till 2003. On 11 December in 2007, Pandit was made the new CEO of Citigroup after the term of interim-CEO, Sir Winfried Bischoff. In 2008, Vikram Pandit was also given the coveted Padma Bhushan by the Government of India. He now lives with his wife Swati at Central Park West, New York in a $ 17.85 million-worth apartment bought from late actor Tony Randall.

Vikram Pandit Facts

1957 - Vikram Pandit was born 14 January at Nagpur in the state of Maharashtra in India
1973 –At the age of 16, Vikram Pandit shifted to the United States
1976 - He acquired B.S. in electrical engineering in US
1977 –He acquired M.S. in electrical engineering in US
1986 – Vikram Pandit completed his Ph.D. in finance
1990 – From 1990 to 1994, Vikram Pandit was MD and head of the US Equity Syndicate for Morgan Stanley
1994 - From 1994 till 2000, Vikram Pandit worked as the MD and head of the Worldwide Institutional Equities Division for Morgan Stanley
2000 – He was board member of NASDAQ, the New York City Investment Fund from the year 2000 till 2003
2000 – From 2000 to 2005, he served as the president and CEO of the Institutional Securities and Investment Banking Group at Morgan Stanley.
2005 – Vikram Pandit left Morgan Stanley
2006 – He formed a hedge fund, Old Lane Partners
2007 – Hedge fund was purchased by the Citigroup for $800 million.
2007- On 11 December, Vikram Pandit was made the new CEO of Citigroup
2008 – Vikram Pandit was honored with the Padma Bhushan Award by the Indian Government

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