Meet Denika Torres
An ongoing series from The Alumni Society spotlighting its impressive members
Alma mater: Columbia | Location: New York City
Where are you from?
I was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. As the largest state in Mexico, its vast territory and diverse landscapes provided memorable experiences outdoors while growing up.
What do you do?
Throughout the last nine years, I’ve been focused on supporting clients to optimize their working capital and payment strategies at Citi. As a former development consultant, I developed a long-term goal to stay curious and to prioritize learning. This career has allowed me to tap into both goals given that payments are dynamic. I’m the Citi Commercial Cards global head of business and market management, focused on leading global initiatives to deliver impactful travel and expense and B2B solutions to clients across 100+ countries. I’m also the global ESG lead for our division. In this role, I execute our product roadmap and lead the partnership strategy for our sustainability offering, aligned with our mission to create a positive impact for our stakeholders.
What is a career accomplishment you’re proud of?
When I started my full-time career in banking in 2013, I focused on volunteering and taking on leadership roles in organizations that connected peers and professionals with payment leaders to see more diverse leadership in the industry. Some commented that it was too early to get involved, yet I knew these were important priorities and continued to stay engaged. Nine years later, I was recognized as a Forty Under 40 honoree by the Electronic Transactions Association (the world’s leading advocacy and trade association for the payments industry) as a changemaker driving the payments industry forward. While I was humbled to receive this recognition among the distinguished 2023 cohort, the experience taught me that the mission to empower others to innovate and thrive in our industry is a meaningful cause. I look forward to supporting these efforts in my profession and community in the next decade.
In the spirit of giving and receiving, what do you seek from this network and what do you want to contribute?
I’m looking forward to connecting with Latino changemakers and supporting The Alumni Society’s goal to empower Latinos to reach new heights.
What is a fun fact about you that you’d like to share with the network?
I’m a traveler at heart and have learned four languages along the way. My biggest travel achievement has been experiencing China without an interpreter: speaking a local language is the only way to experience a new country.
