There's at least one part of finance that Citigroup Inc. hopesdoesn't go back to normal: opening accounts.

With corporations around the world forced to shutter offices tostem the spread of the deadly coronavirus, Citigroup has seen those clientsflock to its new technology offerings. The firm said on Wednesdaythat it had opened more than 1,000 corporate accounts digitallyduring the widespread lockdowns, a 300 percent increase from a yearearlier.

"As physical interaction has become an issue and people aregenerally working from their respective residences, this particularcapability became very handy," Naveed Sultan, global head of thebank's treasury and trade solutions business, said in an interview."We've been at this for quite some time."

The firm set out in recent years to reduce the time it takescorporations to open accounts from several weeks to two days. Thathas helped as the bank has seen an influx of new clients and evenexisting customers seeking to open accounts in new countries orregions around the world as they shift supply chains in response to thepandemic.

Citigroup has long leaned on its treasury division, whichcontributed 14 percent of firmwide revenue last year. Rivals haverecently sought to mimic its success, with Goldman Sachs Group Inc.seeking to gain a greater foothold in the business.

Sultan said clients' rapid adoption of digital tools meansCitigroup employees will have more flexibility, too. His unit'sfuture could include a combination of working from home and fromthe office.

"At Citi, we have done very well adjusting to this newenvironment," Sultan said. "We did not miss a beat."

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