The Core Values Driving Citadel’s Success: An Interview with Drew Gillanders

With over two decades of investment experience across the U.S. and Europe, Drew Gillanders, Head of International Equities, Europe at Citadel, has strong background working at various financial institutions - You can therefore trust his insights when he describes the qualities that set Citadel apart. Founded in 1990 by Kenneth C. Griffin, Citadel is a global financial institution specializing in investment management. Currently, the firm is expanding its presence in Europe, aiming to become the leading market-neutral equities business in the region.

At a recent event hosted by the Finance Society at Imperial College, Gillanders spoke with Felix about his career journey and Citadel’s unique approach to risk management, leadership, and talent development. To begin with, he emphasized the deep impact of Ken Griffin’s leadership on Citadel’s sustained success. “His ability to go both broad and deep... sets the ethos.” He highlighted that Griffin’s vision permeates the firm’s culture and drives Citadel’s balance between calculated risk-taking and long-term growth. “Solving a problem today earns yourself the right to solve the next problem tomorrow.” The broad aim is to foster an environment where teams are empowered to innovate within a disciplined framework.

Gillanders elaborated on Citadel’s core strengths emphasizing meritocracy, its culture centered on problem-solving and collaboration, and its robust infrastructure which supports scalable investment strategies. He highlighted at Citadel, meritocracy is not just a word but a culture. By focusing on problem-solving and teamwork within a flat organizational structure, from portfolio managers to associates, everyone is committed to addressing challenges and contributing solutions. The best ideas can emerge from any level. “It's quite frequent where you’re getting the best answers from the associate which... creates a great environment but also creates a great learning experience,” Gillanders noted.

Gillanders also believes that this dedication to collaboration and maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit is key to long-term success and personal career satisfaction. “We’re keeping that entrepreneurial feel at the desk level,” he added. He also stressed the importance of staying vigilant and continuously evolving: “We’re always trying to guard against complacency... always trying to evolve and find better ways of doing things.”

The strong culture of meritocracy and collaboration is bolstered by Citadel’s world-class infrastructure and technology. “One of the things that Citadel does incredibly well is... having all that infrastructure around you to support your investment process,” he noted. “Being furnished with KPIs and stats that allow you to make better decisions” is integral to their approach.

When asked why he returned to Citadel after a break, Gillanders pointed to the quality of its people and culture. “I missed the quality of the people, I missed the quality of the dialogue... that problem-solving culture, the collaborative nature of it,” he shared. This emphasis on maintaining the highest quality of their people shines through. Citadel zealously seeks out the best talent and Gillanders said that like much of the senior leadership, he personally seeks out and interviews candidates across all levels of seniority.

When hiring, Gillanders seeks individuals from diverse educational backgrounds who share a passion for stocks, problem-solving, and resilience. “The first thing that I look for is evidence of passion about stocks,” he explained. Gillanders places high value on curiosity and a strong inclination toward problem-solving, which he views as essential for success. “A degree of curiosity and a problem-solving bias,” he emphasized, are crucial traits for navigating the demanding environment at Citadel.

Equally important to Gillanders is resilience. Candidates need to be able to handle being wrong on a stock approximately half the time while demonstrating the ability to bounce back and learn from failures. “You have to be able to contextualize and put those mistakes in context, learn from them, retool and go again,” he explained. For him, the ability to recover, adapt, and push forward after challenges is a key indicator of future success at Citadel.

Lastly, Gillanders also values self-awareness and a structured approach to problem-solving. He stressed the significance of “understanding how an individual thinks about risk-reward, and how they handle loss.” He seeks individuals who can methodically break down complex challenges, ensuring they thrive in Citadel’s dynamic environment.

Gillanders also mentioned Citadel’s shift toward college campus recruitment through the Citadel Associate Program (CAP). This initiative aims to attract and develop early-career investment professionals by equipping them with foundational equities skills. CAP is a comprehensive ten-week program where participants gain hands-on experience through coding, stock pitch evaluations, and desk rotations simulating real-world investment processes.

“We're going direct to campus,” Gillanders stated. “We believe that the mentorship that we provide, and the success of capturing people earlier in our organization actually has a profound impact on their success.” By tapping into campuses, Citadel nurtures potential from the ground up. Bringing in young talent allows the firm to mold future leaders who share its passion for problem-solving and innovation. With approximately half of Citadel’s fundamental equities PMs developed in-house, the proof of this approach is evident.

He concluded by emphasizing that Citadel’s recruitment reflects the firm’s thorough approach to investment. They focus on identifying individuals with strong potential who will excel within Citadel’s dynamic environment. “We hire very carefully. We seek to understand how they'll work in good markets and bad,” Gillanders stated, highlighting the importance of strategic, long-term talent development at Citadel.

With a reputation for strategic excellence in both market investments and talent development, Citadel stands out as a place to build a career—if you can successfully make your case to their recruiters. Fortunately, Gillanders provided Felix and Imperial students a key inside track on what it takes: passion, resilience, self-awareness, and a collaborative outlook.