Exclusive: Citi IT boss Robin Young to quit

CIO steps down to take on a "major IT integration programme" elsewhere

Young was responsible for the Egg-Citi integration process

The chief information officer of Citigroup's UK consumer division, Robin Young, has decided to leave the business after 18 months of integration work following the acquisition of online bank Egg, Computing can reveal.

Young has left the bank to work on "a major UK integration programme starting in 2009", but said that his departure was also prompted by the looming reduction of his responsibilities after the completion of his initial brief, which included joining up the banks' IT infrastructures and staff.

"When I joined, it was all about blending Egg into Citi and working across the infrastructure, development and architecture areas, therefore a huge job. But as I got closer to achieving the initial goals I realised my job would become much smaller in the long run and so decided to leave," Young told Computing.

The whole process was amicable, according to Young, who has an option to take either "gardening leave" or continue supporting the ongoing integration work of Citi and Egg.

Young will be replaced by head of UK development Roy Aston, who will take over responsibility for the IT department at Citi while the bank finds a permanent replacement.

Formerly Egg's chief technology officer, Young also led the standardisation of the group's five companies and the centralisation of core infrastructure and application development operations at a new computer centre in Derby, after several unsuccessful attempts by the historic Egg team in the past.

"When Egg was bought, the idea was to revive the bank's technology function and fix everything that was not working, as well as integrating the core work streams and staff," said Young.

Integrating Egg's "creative, passionate and dynamic workforce" with Citi's " serious, focused on regulation and control team" was one of the most testing aspects of Young's mandate at the banking giant.

"Despite the challenges, I have managed to deliver results and my references in the industry are solid," he said. "Certainly, the customer experience is much better and internal IT processes have improved considerably since I've joined."

Prior to joining Egg, Young was a head of IT for the retail division of HBOS, which is currently undergoing a takeover process by Lloyds TSB.