Citi has announced the appointment of Kriss Pachauri as director, Global Asset Managers, Australia and New Zealand. Based in Sydney, Pachauri will report to John Mclean, head of Equity Capital Markets and Global Asset Managers for Australia and New Zealand.

Pachauri joins Citi from Houlihan Lokey, where he served as a director focused on M&A execution and origination across sectors, with a particular emphasis on working with sponsors. His previous roles include positions at BBRC Private Equity, Fort Street Advisors, and Goldman Sachs.

An experienced banker with strong client relationships and a proven track record in private equity, Pachauri has led several noteworthy advisory assignments for Australian financial sponsors. These include the sale of Quadrant Private Equity’s fresh pet food business, Prime100, to Colgate-Palmolive, and the sale of Totara Learning Solutions, a global learning management system ( LMS ) provider, from Australian private equity firm Five V Capital to European tech investor Tenzing Capital.

Financial sponsors are driving a significant portion of the overall banking wallet, with an increased global focus on this important asset class. Pachauri's appointment reinforces Citi’s commitment to growing its leveraged finance franchise, leveraging its balance sheet capacity and structuring expertise to support sponsor-led transactions.The current pipeline across Asia-Pacific is strong, positioning Australia well to capitalize on emerging opportunities, according to a statement.

This announcement builds on a successful 2025 for Citi’s team in Australia, which included key deal mandates such as acting as financial adviser to Pacific Equity Partners on the US$1.4 billion acquisition of SG Fleet, financial adviser to KKR on the acquisition of ProTen, and financial adviser to Carlyle on its acquisition of a majority stake in Waste Services Group.

The appointment follows recent hires in Citi’s Australia franchise, including Jessica Rowe as director of spread products and syndication, and Dane Harris as vice president in the Australian dollar debt syndication team.

It also aligns with recent leadership changes within Capital Markets and Advisory, with Ben Connolly and Philippe Perzi appointed as co-heads of Capital Markets and Advisory, and John Mclean named head of Equity Capital Markets and Global Asset Managers for Australia and New Zealand.