Val Smith was appointed Citi’s first Chief Sustainability Officer in 2019 and has helped grow Citi’s sustainability efforts since 2004. She oversees Citi’s Sustainability & ESG team, with responsibility for the bank’s enterprise-level sustainability strategy and priority initiatives, including the $1 Trillion Sustainable Finance Goal and Net Zero commitment. Val is leading the development of Citi’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 plan as well as Net Zero Operations by 2030 and guides its climate change disclosure. Val is an advisor and spokesperson on sustainable finance, climate  change, stakeholder engagement, human rights, ESG integration and sustainability trends.

Prior to joining Citi, Val spent a decade working in the environmental sector, including the National Audubon Society, Brainerd Foundation, and the Houston Advanced Research Center. She began her career with the United States Peace Corps, where she served for two years as an environmental specialist in Honduras.

She serves on the board of Net Impact and is a member of the UNEP FI Global Steering Committee and the Aspen Institute Business & Society Leaders Forum. Val earned her MBA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and her BA in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.