Shaukat AzizSuch was the arrogance of the old Citibank regime that John Reed was widely quoted as believing his executives were diminishing themselves by working for countries rather than for his all-conquering bank. Not so now. Pakistan's finance minister, Shaukat Aziz, says: "It's a privilege for anybody to be asked to serve their country. I am now on leave of absence from Citi. I work here in Islamabad as a volunteer, I receive no compensation either from Citi or the government." No banker was better equipped to bridge the divide between government and banking than Aziz. His work in Citi's corporate banking area had brought him into contact with several Asian governments, and his technical expertise equipped him with a knowledge of markets that he could impart to central bankers and finance ministers at whose tables he was a familiar guest. So in 1999, when he was asked by the...
