As people debate the future of Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit, one Citigroup executive seems to be rising: CFO Ned Kelly. It may be unwise to throw him into the succession issue, but he's "been gaining respect from a wide array of people both inside and outside the organization for his calm and level-headed management and his direct communication," reports the New York Post.

His rise may be coming at the expense of chief administrative officer Don Callahan. The Post reports that Kelly has just taken control of the corporate affairs function from Callahan. Officials explained that the move was logical, as it combined public relations with investor relations, a traditional area of control for CFO. I'm not sure what to make of the move; while PR is often lumped under marketing, it seems odd to place it under the CFO. 

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