AAPI Month: Fostering Connections and Community

When Shalini Guglani immigrated to the United States from India at age 11, she never imagined she would one day be a banking leader, empowering her community through financial education. Today, Guglani serves as SVP, Wealth Divisional Director at Citizens, where she is passionate about helping individuals and families achieve financial dreams.

"I use my platform to influence, not only to work with clients, but influence a lot of people, especially women around me," says Guglani, who is also on the Advisory Board for Citizens Women in Wealth. "I get up in the morning thinking about how I can make my platform an even better place for someone else to pursue this career."

Guglani is one of many of our colleagues at Citizens who are deeply committed to building resilience and success within AAPI communities. By offering trusted advice and guidance, and an unwavering commitment to a culture of inclusion, we strive to be trusted partners that empower our customers and communities.

Creating opportunities in the community

For Danny Lee, SVP, Performance Enablement and Execution Director, supporting the community is deeply personal. As a Korean immigrant who moved to the U.S. at age 10, Lee witnessed firsthand the challenges his parents faced navigating the American financial system.

"I remember we were at the dealership trying to buy a car, and the sales manager kind of laughed in our face, questioning how we could be in this country for eight years and my mom doesn't have credit to qualify for a loan," Lee recalls. "I felt ashamed. But instead of educating us about what credit is, he blamed us for not understanding. That stuck with me throughout my personal and professional journey — I want to be the person that empowers and educates other people."

Today, Lee works closely with market leaders and branch teams across business lines, helping ensure strategy shows up consistently in how customers and communities are served.

"We hire people that represent the community, that speak the language and understand the culture," explains Lee. "In a Korean American community, if you say hello the right way — not looking them in the eye, saying 'annyeonghaseyo' while bowing — that little gesture goes a long way. It shows we truly care about understanding the culture and where they come from."

Through team, Lee collaborates with local groups to provide workshops on financial empowerment and small business development. These efforts leverage Citizens Money Essentials, the bank's financial education program, to help individuals and business owners build foundational money skills and make informed decisions with confidence. As the program continues to evolve, Citizens plans to expand these resources to additional languages, including Chinese, to broaden access to trusted financial education.

Outside of work, Lee remains actively involved in the Metro New York community. He mentors Asian American college and graduate students on networking, résumé development, and interviewing, supports Junior Achievement of New Jersey, and continues to participate in financial empowerment sessions alongside colleagues.

Supporting AAPI small businesses

For many entrepreneurs, small businesses are the backbone of their communities, navigating ongoing change in customer behavior, technology, and access to capital.

"At our Canal Street branch, we've worked closely with small business owners as they adapt and grow in a rapidly evolving environment," says Feili Ye, VP Branch Manager at Citizens. "We partnered with a local nonprofit to help businesses strengthen their models, reach new customers, and plan for long‑term sustainability."

The branch sponsored workshops offering guidance on topics such as e‑commerce, marketing, and access to capital. For business owners navigating growth and reinvestment, this support has played an important role.

"Our bankers worked closely with one restaurant owner to help him get the right services in place," Ye says. "Today, he's opened eight new restaurants in Manhattan and a warehouse in New Jersey. That relationship grew through trust and continues through referrals from other business owners."

Building connections and trust

In addition to delivering trusted financial advice, we strengthen relationships through intentional language access and culturally relevant engagement.

As part of this effort, Citizens has launched 11 Chinese activated branches across New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia, each staffed with Mandarin‑ and/or Cantonese certified colleagues to provide consistent in‑language support. This expansion addressed the next largest language need across the company's footprint.

At the Canal Street branch, for example, Ye and her team greet customers in Mandarin, Cantonese and Taiwanese — even though Ye herself is still learning some of these dialects.

"I grew up in northern China, so learning Cantonese didn't come naturally at first," Ye explains. "But as a certified colleague, being able to support customers in their preferred language makes a real difference. When people see that we can serve them clearly and respectfully in-language, it builds trust. Even small efforts go a long way in showing customers that we're here for more than just a transaction."

Today, Mandarin and Cantonese are among the most widely used certification languages across Citizens, reflecting growing demand for in‑language banking support. Across key neighborhoods, bilingual signage and community engagement tied to cultural moments such as Lunar New Year have helped increase awareness and visibility. This approach builds on successful language certification models used in other communities and supports Citizens' broader commitment to serving customers with clarity, respect, and cultural understanding.

"We are not here just for transactions. We're here to build relationships," says Lee. "How can we be part of our customers' journey, from the time they start their career, to when they're having children or saving for retirement? We want to be that trusted advisor through all of life's moments — the good and the challenging."

Planning for a brighter future together

For Guglani, Lee and Ye, supporting their communities feels like more than a job — they are helping communities and customers thrive.

"What I love is our ability to authentically show up and make a real difference. When we put customers at the center of everything, build trust, and deliver the right solutions, the results will follow," says Lee.

Whether through financial education, small business support, or expanded in-language access, Citizens continues to foster strong communities by meeting people where they are and helping them prepare for what's next.