Mumbai, Feb 3 (PTI) – Veteran banker Victor Menezes, a pioneering India-origin executive who held top leadership roles in multinational corporations, has passed away in the United States at the age of 77, sources confirmed on Monday.
Born in Pune, Menezes was an alumnus of IIT-Bombay and MIT, and had an illustrious 32-year-long career with Citibank, where he eventually rose to the position of senior vice chairman before retiring. He breathed his last in Miami, though the exact cause of his death remains unknown at this time.
A Stellar Career Spanning Continents
After earning a degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 1970, Menezes pursued a business degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US. He soon joined Citibank as a corporate banker, working across continents and making a mark in the financial sector.His leadership at Citibank was instrumental in shaping global banking strategies, and he became one of the first India-born CXOs to lead a major multinational financial institution.
A Legacy Beyond Banking
Beyond his corporate success, Menezes was deeply involved in philanthropy. In 2011, he donated $3 million to his alma mater, IIT-Bombay, to establish a convention center at the prestigious institution.He was the son of civil servant Manuel Menezes and the brother of Ivan Menezes, the former CEO of Diageo.
Tributes Pour In
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the chairperson of Biocon, mourned Menezes' passing, remembering him as a “wonderful and wise colleague” at MIT Corporation, and praised his intellect and contributions.Menezes is survived by his wife, Tara, a former beauty queen, and their four children.
His demise marks the loss of a pioneering financial leader who left a significant impact on global banking and philanthropy.
