Citadel Rehires Matt Giannini for Third Stint

Citadel will bring back Matt Giannini from Walleye Capital for a third separate term, with a planned start in 2027 to support expansion of its equities business.

Giannini spent under a year at Walleye Capital, where he served as chief operating officer of the firm’s equity long-short business.

He first joined Citadel in 2007, left in 2012 to join Balyasny Asset Management and rose to global co-head of business development there. Citadel rehired him in late 2018; he later became global head of equities business development and departed in 2024.

The $76 billion multi-strategy firm confirmed the 2027 start date and that Giannini will contribute to expanding its equities operations.

Large multi-strategy managers have competed for executives with experience recruiting and managing portfolio managers and analysts. Giannini’s resume focuses on business development and talent recruitment within hedge fund equities.

His return is the third separate term at Citadel. It follows a pattern of senior executives moving between large funds and smaller managers when firms adjust leadership to support growth plans.