Citigroup’s chairman of corporate and investment banking for continental Europe tells FN why Italy is at the heart of the bank's European plans and how the US debt crisis could yet return to haunt European markets.

Milan-based de Vecchi has only been with the US bank since July - he left Credit Suisse last year - but is already starting to make his mark. Last week Citi announced the appointment of two co-heads of investment banking in Italy, Leopoldo Attolico and Pierpaolo di Stefano, who joined from Deutsche Bank and Nomura.