John Cheng
Executive Chairman
John started Citus Trading in 1983 as a one-man operation. With humble beginnings as a supplier of building materials to the Singapore construction industry, John has single-handedly built and grown the Citus brand into a well respected name in trading circles.
With acute foresight and creative business strategies, John molded and evolved Citus’ lines of business to meet market trends which enabled Citus to weather multiple financial downturns over the years with strong financial returns.
Before deciding to move permanently from Thailand to Singapore, John worked with Phatra Thanakit Finance & Investment Co. Ltd (a Thai Farmers Bank finance company) in Bangkok. When he arrived in Singapore, John joined Bangkok Bank Singapore in the Credit Marketing Department where he was responsible for evaluating the risk and return profiles of business loan applicants. During his tenure at Bangkok Bank, John gained valuable experience and intimate insight into shipping laws, documentary credit, trade finance as well as laws governing international trade. His in-depth knowledge and experience in trade finance has been the pillar of the Citus Group’s business model even up till today.
Prior to establishing Citus, John joined Berli Jucker, Singapore, where he was responsible for handling a range of renovation products / construction materials from the Siam Cement Group.
John earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Management Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the Keller Graduate School of Management.
Cecilia Cheng
Executive Director
Cecilia was one of the founding members of Citus Trading. She officially became an active member of the Citus team in 1994 as Executive Director and CFO. Prior to Citus, Cecilia spent 7 years as a Food Researcher for the Swiss food conglomerate Nestlé at their regional research centre in Singapore.
Cecilia worked extensively with Nestlé’s fermented liquid and powder seasoning products, with the goal of improving processing methods to reduce costs while keeping the original food products’ taste, aesthetic profile, and shelf life. Cecilia was also a part of the pioneering product development team for Maggi Seasoning, one of Nestlé’s most well known products in Asia.
While Cecilia was earning her Masters and PhD in Chemical Engineering at the National University of Singapore, she worked for the University as a Research Fellow. Cecilia earned her Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, and subsequently her Masters in Chemical Engineering and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Singapore.
Nadar Ajlani
Managing Director
Nadar earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Tulane University where he was on full Government scholarship as a National Merit Scholar as well as a Louisiana Legislative Scholar. Upon graduation, he spent over five years in New York City at both Citigroup and JPMorgan’s private wealth divisions, advising a sophisticated clientele on complex financial structures.
Nadar also spent a year in Singapore at Standard Chartered Bank’s global private wealth division with a portfolio of high net worth clients spanning the globe. Nadar then went on to earn his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree at Cornell University and subsequently worked as an investment banker advising private equity hedge funds on leveraged buyouts for Barclays Capital in New York City.
Nadar brings to the Citus team a wealth of banking and finance experience which will elevate the team’s ability in evaluating and structuring new business opportunities.
Joanna Cheng-Ajlani
Executive Director
Joanna earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, consistently ranked among the top hospitality programs globally. Upon graduation, she joined the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, heading the hotel’s Restaurant Sales & Marketing division. After which, Joanna joined Restaurant Associates as Director of Catering for Morgan Stanley’s global headquarters in New York City, overseeing and running the entire investment bank’s internal catering and event management department.
Joanna then went on to earn her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree at Cornell University, where she served as Class President, and subsequently joined the Corporate Sales team at Denihan Hospitality Group working on sales and new market penetration strategies for Denihan’s group of luxury New York City hotels.
Joanna brings to the Citus team extensive sales and marketing strategy experience, which will assist greatly in achieving Citus’ aggressive growth goals.
Liaw Wei Shing
Director
Wei Shing has more than 25 years experience in finance, corporate tax, business restructuring and fund management. Prior to joining Citus, he held senior positions in various industries, ranging from multi-national accounting and IT consultancy companies, to private equity company as well as a billion-dollar global building consultancy company under Temasek Holdings.
Wei Shing spent over 10 years actively engaging and providing business solutions to senior management of Chinese companies and high net worth investors in China. He was also the Chairman of Singapore’s IRAS Taxpayer Feedback Panel from 2010-2014.
Wei Shing earned a Bachelor of Accountancy Degree from Nanyang Technological University and is a Chartered Accountant.