Goldman Sachs has appointed Tommaso Ponselé, formerly Head of Corporate Debt Capital Markets at Citigroup, as a Managing Director in its recently launched Capital Solutions Group, in a move that underscores the firm’s growing focus on private capital and sponsor-driven financing, according to a report by Financial News.
Ponselé’s hire follows a broader strategic repositioning by Goldman Sachs to expand its capabilities in the private credit and capital solutions arena, a space increasingly vital to private equity sponsors seeking bespoke financing solutions amid volatile public markets. The Capital Solutions Group, established in January, is aimed at bridging traditional investment banking with the demands of alternative asset managers and non-bank lenders.
Ponselé brings nearly two decades of experience at Citigroup, where he played a key role in building out the firm’s European debt franchise. He was named sole Head of Corporate DCM in October 2024, following a restructuring of the unit that triggered a number of high-level departures, including his former co-Head Colm Rainey and Managing Director Christian Rose.
His departure adds to a wave of recent senior exits from Citigroup’s DCM and loan syndication businesses, as the bank continues to recalibrate its investment banking operations to sharpen its focus on leveraged finance and private equity coverage. Recent departures have included EMEA Head of DCM Abdel Khalek and Head of UK, Europe and MEA loans Zain Zaidi.
Despite the leadership turnover, Citigroup posted a 61% year-on-year increase in DCM revenue to $1.2bn in 2024, driven by a surge in refinancing activity ahead of the US election cycle. However, fees in Q1 2025 showed a slight decline, down 3% to $553m.
