Hewlett-Packard is a $117 billion information-technology conglomerate. Citigroup is a $130 billion financial-services supermarket. So why is the C.E.O. of the latter seeking leadership advice from the C.E.O. of the former?

The Financial Times reports that Citigroup chief executive Vikram Pandit has turned to H.P. chief Mark Hurd for advice on how to turn around the bank he took over late last year. More specifically, Citigroup is seeking "advice on how to revive its fortunes without breaking up the company." Today, Pandit will square off with investors calling for a breakup at Citigroup's annual shareholder meeting.

Even though the two companies operate in disparate industries that are subject to very different macroeconomic problems, in many ways, Hurd is a perfect candidate for mentoring Pandit. And the fact that Pandit is seeking it at all is welcome news for Citigroup shareholders.

Hurd was virtually unknown when he took over a struggling H.P. in 2005 after the ouster of the ubiquitous Carly Fiorina. He was greeted by an army of irate investors upset with the poor execution of the company's controversial $19 billion takeover of Compaq. Just months after he arrived, the company was embroiled in a scandal involving spying and board leaks.  

Hurd has managed to remain well below the radar since then, while H.P.'s shares have doubled. He has remained focused on cutting costs and finding efficiencies in running the various businesses. In short, his stellar execution effectively makes the argument not to break up a struggling, diversified company.

It's an argument that Pandit desperately wants to make as well. Like H.P., Citigroup has been challenged ever since its own controversial mega-merger with Travelers in 1998. Pandit, who was also little known and had no experience running a large company, replaced Chuck Prince, who was ousted after the company reported dismal results in the midst of the credit crunch.   

Neither Hurd nor Pandit is taking the flashy, bells-and-whistles approach to managing the corner office that their predecessors did, and there's certainly something to say for that. They both seem to approach cost cutting with an emotionless, methodical approach. Neither one is known as the guy you want to get a beer with, but, then again, that guy is rarely known for turning around a troubled conglomerate.

In the four months since he took the helm at Citigroup, Pandit has won over some investors, but the biggest challenges remain ahead of him. Today, the company quietly raised $6 billion by selling preferred shares, just days after it announced a $5 billion quarterly loss.

Citigroup shareholders have endured a lot in recent years. Those who plan on sticking around long enough to see what happens should be pleased to learn that Pandit is seeking knowledge on how to get it there, even in the unlikeliest of places.