Why Does Citadel Keep Each Team in One Place?

Dani Burger asked Ken Griffin how Citadel holds a team together when the center of gravity sits somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. She noted that at COVID he was one of the first leaders to say people need to be together. Griffin says the first rule is to keep teams within Citadel in one geographical location as much as possible.

From the top of the business down through the verticals of what Citadel does, Griffin says the verticals stay geographically centered because teams should work together physically whenever possible. Nothing beats a whiteboard and a good debate. His office has a big whiteboard, the boardrooms have big whiteboards, and the walls around neighboring offices are writable, so a person can stand up and write on a wall. He says nothing beats person-to-person interaction.

For younger team members, Griffin says talent develops in an immersive setting with a boss who is a mentor and with peers who are mentors too. Nothing beats that physical proximity, and he says the arrangement creates a really special place.