CEO Peng Zhao on Building a Successful Career

Citadel Securities CEO Peng Zhao defines the firm’s talent strategy as a "platform" designed to empower individuals to build their own careers rather than simply filling predefined roles. Talent, rather than technology or capital, serves as the most critical resource for driving innovation and determining the company's future direction. Success for early-career professionals depends on a dual commitment to continuous learning—including learning from mistakes and challenging the status quo—and the creation of personal leverage. This leverage is achieved by developing scalable tools, technologies, and processes, or by recruiting and leading high-performing teams. By providing high-bandwidth infrastructure and a "green field" of opportunities, the firm enables a small workforce of 1,700 people to manage over half a trillion dollars in daily trading volume across 100 global markets. This environment prioritizes solving direct business needs through technical complexity and provides the necessary runway for young talent to make a significant industry impact.