Citi Chief Financial Officer Mark A. L. Mason (B.B.A. ’91) returned to the Howard University School of Business on Thursday for the Fall 2025 Executive Lecture Series.

The university trustee vice chair outlined a playbook for leadership grounded in work ethic, resilience and flexibility, crediting his success to his upbringing and to Howard. Each year, the Executive Lecture Series offers first-year students the opportunity to engage directly with C-suite executives in the auditorium.

“Howard is home for me,” Mason said. “I started here in 1987, I sat in the same seats you’re sitting in today. In many ways my experience here has shaped my entire life and career.”

Mason said the community and curriculum he found at Howard prepared him to compete on Wall Street and later to lead through periods of finance industry crisis.

“Howard prepared me to be ready for just about anything,” Mason said. “The finance courses I took — and really every course I took — readied me to compete on Wall Street with the best at one of the top firms.”

Mason set the tone of the lecture with a story about his teen years in Queens working for his grandfather’s lawn service. He recalled working summers for Mason Landscaping, “graduating” from weeding to mowing and moving from backyard assignments to the more high-profile lawn work in the front of houses. Once, after leaving a crooked stripe across a yard, his grandfather stopped him and asked, “Whose name is on that truck?”

“The quality of your work reflects not only you but your family,” Mason said. “That lesson has stayed with me throughout my life.”

Mason credited his mother with instilling in him and his brother the belief that hard work could overcome difficult challenges. At Howard, that confidence was nurtured as he explored new directions. He entered as a physician assistant major, switched to accounting, and ultimately found his calling in finance after a dinner conversation about business strategy.

“What Howard gave me was grace, the freedom to change direction, to try something new, and to still feel like I belonged,” he said. “That flexibility shaped the career I have today.”

As a leading figure in finance, Mason’s career has spanned nearly 25 years at Citi, marked by assignments that tested him in times of upheaval. He joined Citi in 2001, served as CEO of Citi Private Bank, CEO of Citi Holdings, and held the role of CFO and head of strategy & M&A for Citi’s Global Wealth Management Division. In February 2019, he was named Citi’s chief financial officer.

“Careers are defined in times of crisis,” Mason said. “What matters is how you respond when the path is uncertain, whether you sit still or move forward with purpose.”

Mason linked his rise to a guiding principle, telling the attendees “differentiation drives value.”

“In business, companies win because they do something different or better than the competition,” Mason said. “In your career, the same is true; you stand out when you bring a broader perspective.”

Mason urged students to cultivate mentors and advocates. A mentor, he said, sharpens your thinking, while an advocate speaks on your behalf when you are not in the room.

Dean of the Business School Anthony D. Wilbon, Ph.D., praised Mason’s remarks as both inspiring and instructive for Howard students.

“As students heard in his lecture, Mr. Mason traveled a very nontraditional path to where he is today,” Wilbon said. “He reminded us that pursuing your fears, even when uncomfortable, can open doors and shape your career. He also emphasized that crisis defines who you are, and it is how you respond that determines your success.”

Asked by a student how his leadership style has evolved since joining Citi in 2001, Mason said he has always been collaborative, but over time he has become more direct.

“People actually get more from clear, respectful feedback,” he said. “It allows teams to move faster and with confidence.”

For first-year business students, the lecture was also a chance to connect personal aspirations with Mason’s career journey.

Charisma Mosely, a freshman marketing major from Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, said she chose Howard because it offered a supportive community. Like Mason, she said it already feels like home.

Mosely added that the School of Business has already given her multiple opportunities to engage with industry leaders. She attended a Nike-sponsored event the previous day and spoke with representatives from Nike and other corporations about internships and career pathways.

“I enjoyed learning how leaders like Mr. Mason entered the business world and what challenges they faced,” she said. “Hearing those stories helps me think about my own path.”

###