When one of the world’s largest commercial banks transforms how they collect financial data, it’s worth paying attention. Citi Commercial Bank just announced a comprehensive digitization of their lending experience for mid-sized corporates – and Validis is the technology powering their automated financial data collection.
What’s Inside:
- How Citi eliminated manual financial reporting for their commercial clients
- The specific role Validis plays in their “one-click upload” and ERP connectivity
- Why this signals the future of commercial lending operations
This isn’t just another press release. It’s validation that the approach we’ve been advocating – seamless, automated access to client financial data – has become essential infrastructure for leading commercial banks.
Citi Commercial Bank Transforming and Digitizing Lending Experience for Mid-Sized Corporates
June 25, 2025
NEW YORK – Citi Commercial Bank (‘CCB’) has taken steps to enhance its lending capabilities for mid-sized corporates by offering a streamlined digital experience. This transformation of CCB’s existing credit processes will improve ease of use for global clients while accelerating turnaround times and enhancing the overall client experience.
The changes are part of CCB’s ongoing strategic focus to increase its pace of digitalization. CCB clients will now experience a digitally-native lending process through the CitiDirect® Commercial Banking platform. The updated platform incorporates client feedback, provides a user-centric development approach and leverages insights from other Citi businesses.
“These enhancements support our commercial banking clients by offering quicker, more efficient and tech-led financing options to meet their capital needs,”
said Tasnim Ghiawadwala, Head of Citi Commercial Bank.
“Many CCB clients are fast-growing companies, and this improved lending experience is consistent with how they operate their own businesses.”
Key enhancements include:
- Digital Credit Application: Streamlining the intake and processing of new money requests for both Clients and Bankers.
- Clients benefit from:
- Easy provision of financials based on a clear and codified list of requirements
- End-to-end status updates
- Electronic contract signatures, wherever legally approved
- The Digital Credit Application is available for a wide array of credit products, including revolving credit, term loans, commercial cards and letters of credit.
- The Digital Credit Application can be used for products of an amount up to $10M;
- If a client is approved based on business-as-usual credit requirements, clients receive approval to their request in an average of 15 business days and funds are disbursed in an average of 30 business days.
- Clients benefit from:
- Automated Self-Service Credit Management Process for existing borrowing relationships.
- Will enhance Citi Commercial Bank’s ongoing credit management processes, including covenant monitoring and annual reviews.
- Clients benefit from an automated schedule for the provision of ongoing financial reporting requirements as listed in their credit agreement, which they can provide with a one-click upload or by directly and securely connecting their ERP or accounting platform for a seamless push of data, powered by Validis.
- Information is then automatically shared with the bankers and underwriters and trackable in a new 360˚ internal deal management tool for efficient automated monitoring of turnaround times.
These capabilities are live in the U.S., Canada, India, Singapore, Hong Kong and Brazil. Approximately 20% of CCB clients across those markets are using our digital lending capabilities.
“The continued roll out of these new digital lending capabilities to new geographies remains a key priority for Citi Commercial Bank,”
said Colm Donnelly, Head of Digital Lending Transformation and Partnerships for Citi Commercial Bank.
“Digitally enhancing our client experience ensures we offer rapid support for common needs. We consistently explore ways to leverage innovative technology including artificial intelligence powered tools to increase automation and provide credit products in a quicker and simpler manner.”
The transformation is telling
Citi moved from traditional document collection to what they call “seamless push of data” through direct accounting platform connections. Their clients now experience automated scheduling for financial reporting requirements, one-click uploads, and real-time connectivity to their ERP systems.
We get financial data
When institutions like Citi build their digital lending future around this capability, it confirms what we’ve been saying: standardized, real-time access to accounting data isn’t a nice-to-have anymore. It’s table stakes for competitive commercial lending.
Ready to explore how your institution can achieve similar transformation? The technology that’s powering Citi’s success is available to you today.
