[70th Anniversary] Citibank director counts on The Korea Herald's restless reinvention

In the eyes of Jason Batman, the managing director responsible for Citibank's treasury and trade solutions division, there's a remarkable parallel between Citibank Korea and The Korea Herald.

Both entities function as essential conduits that forge connections between Korea and the rest of the world.

"Korean conglomerates look at Citibank and see access to the global infrastructure of banking. A one-stop shop that can cater to their needs in 95 markets worldwide," Batman said during his interview with the Herald.

Likewise, his exposure to Korea's politics, economy, and other matters via the news outlet enabled him to draw upon the topics he often discusses with his clients, he said.

He believes that the key to the Herald's future, as it has been in the past, lies in "evolving."

“The Korea Herald has shown that it can develop with time and continue to reinvent the way that it creates press and hits different people. If The Korea Herald got that wrong, I can't see it having a long career in Korea,” he said.

Batman, who has been with Citibank for the last 24 years, became an expert in the Asian financial market. He honed his expertise during more than a decade of residence in Asian financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.

He came to Korea in 2019, but even before he set foot in the country he was already a reader of the Herald.

As part of his preparations for moving to his role in Korea, Batman scoured the internet for various news pieces about the country, leading him to discover the media outlet.

“It was a good way for me to get in touch with what was happening in Korea without being here,” Batman said.

Notably, he extended his appreciation to the Herald's opinion pieces, highlighting how they aided him in developing a well-rounded perspective of Korea.

“It’s important to have good opinion pieces that are not always the rhetoric of government or a policy,” he said.

Residing in Korea since 2019, a significant duration of Batman's tenure here unfolded amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that, being an expatriate, the Herald held particular value for him during this time.

“As a foreigner I needed to know what's happening and I couldn't get that easily from government web spaces,” he said.

Furthermore, in the midst of the pandemic, staying informed about global macro trends, evolving events in Asia, and the achievements and challenges faced by diverse businesses held considerable importance for him, and he found a reliable source for such information in the Herald.