Qatalyst Partners
Hey,
Does anyone have any info on this firm with regards to size and culture. What do people working there think of the firm.
Thanks.
Hey,
Does anyone have any info on this firm with regards to size and culture. What do people working there think of the firm.
Thanks.
Career Resources
Well, I'm a nobody and I'm in high school so take this with caution. Just trying to help.
It's very reputed, started by a legend called Frank Quattrone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Quattrone. He has a very good rep so he manages to get some pretty sweet deals.
Did some major deals. The most recent I can think of is that it advised 3Par when it was getting acquired by HP. It's small and hard to get into. There's only one guy from Wharton undergrad that got in.
edit: By one guy I mean one guy from Wharton undergraduate class of 2010. I'll leave it to the other more experienced and those who work there to talk about the culture etc.
Maybe 2010 was a bad year? I know a couple guys from other schools who got offers this year. Also, what Nouveau says is right; they pay above street. 100+% bonus
Wow, sorry if this is off topic, but I'm curious to know which schools these are? Any non-ivies?
jeez man, not to sound like a douche but I never heard of banking until midway through college, in high school I was playing soccer and bumming around thinking my job as a busboy was the greatest thing ever
Haha I get that a lot. I don't know what to say, it's probably the culture where I live, everyone is ambitious about something (less for finance, more engineering & science). I don't know a single kid who has a job here. It's a more conservative environment and It's mad hard for HS students to get part-time jobs unless it's distributing flyers or brochures, something I've already tried. Yeah, no prizes for guessing where I live. Sometimes I wish I grew up in the US.
Just to make this post relevant: I hope I get to work for Qatalyst later on. LOL.
You are a visible minority (South or Far East Asian). You live in the western hemisphere, but in an area where it's largely immigrant population. You say you can't get a job because of culture, but it's really because your parents won't let you have a job through restriction or the way they brought you up that made you incompetent for high school jobs.
You sound just like one of those nerd in high school who never gets pussy.
How is that relevant?
.
PMed you.
Dude don't worry, I'm a South Asian guy and I definitely got more pussy in high school than you
They pay way above street. I don't want to look for the numbers at the moment, but I believe they were $80k base and $100k bonus for FIRST YEAR analysts.
bump on culture and analyst responsibilities at the firm
Qatalyst killed it in 2010... It's a top tech shop that competes with GS/CS/MS, but isn't as big so clearly they're not going to take that many analysts yet.
It's one of the best non-BB banks you could work at and has an extremely strong reputation, high pay and places into PE particularly in tech (from what I've heard).
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I interviewed with them. If you don't have a good answer to, "Which tech space are you interested in and why?" You're definitely not getting a callback.
What do you mean by tech space? Do you have subdivisions within Technology M&A?
Also do you guys have any information on the reputation of Qatalyst outside the U.S.? I am interviewing with them for a position in the London office.
Uuuuuuhhhhhh. Yes. Tech is divided into many different sectors and subsectors. If you can't recognize it and instead say things like "I like tech because my iPhone rockzzzz!!!!111", it'll be pretty hard to convince them that you're interested in the industry.
The reality is, if you know you want to do tech for a long time, you can argue that you will choose qatalyst over GS/MS. This is because you will likely to be the one working on mega m&a tech deals compared to being at gs tmt or ms tech working on huge ipos/equity offerings as well.
and no, I don't work at qatalyst although I wish i was
I agree and disagree at the same time. Q does major things in tech like 3PAR, but many of their other deals are only known to the people within the industry (Isilon, Foundry, Atheros). Whereas at a bank like GS or MS or even BAML you'll get a decent chance to be staffed on a major IPO of a well-known tech company like Facebook or LinkedIn. Doesn't mean you will as there are many other analysts around you, but I wouldn't say Q works on mega tech deals and BB doesn't, since many of Q's clients are (oftentimes middle market) companies no one has ever heard of.
They're really small and lean, but are doing really well. I wouldn't over-exaggerate their elite status, as many of their guys (including Quattrone) have been at banks like Credit Suisse before (so they're just as good as the tech bankers from GS, MS, etc. - not Gods per se), but they did some major things in tech recently (3PAR, Palm, Foundry Networks, Atheros).
They primarily hire from Wharton and Berkeley. Getting an offer is a mixture of nailing your interviews 100% and that often-omitted thing called luck.
Quattrone was THE tech banker during the internet boom of the 90s, and was the one to really put tech banking on the map. The global head of tech at MS now was one of his VPs. He's still just a banker so definitely not God status or whatever, but I would certainly put his stature in the industry above current GS/MS tech bankers. That's why he's able to win these tech mega deals without the brand of a major bank behind him, he IS a brand in tech.
If you know you want to be in tech in the long term, Qatalyst might be the best bank to be at. If you don't have a special interest in tech, the other top groups at BBs are still a better option.
I agree, but you can still get a decent exposure to deals at shops like Goldman and Morgan Stanley, that's just my point. FQ doesn't own the tech space per se as there are plenty of deals to go around. In fact, to an analyst I'd probably recommend going to a bigger platform (pretty much GS, MS and JPM) at first and being exposed to many more types of deals and (of course) people.
Quattrone was a god among bankers during his time at CSFB and far above any tech banker from any other bank in the history of tech banking (a short history, i know, but you can't compare him to any tech bankers at GS/MS/anywhere).
Why are you going into finance when you're drafted into you know where?
This guy was drafted to the NHL... No clue why he's trynna break into that finnance.
Does Qatalyst work in the biotech space?
No. They're tech. Tech =!= biotech.
I'll concede the point about FQ. But overall, it's also important to know that guys from Goldman and Morgan also consistently win mega-tech deals.
But you're splitting those deals with 3-5x as many analysts, and I definitely don't think those groups do 3-5x as many tech m&a mega-deals. Another point you brought up was that BB platforms are a good place to meet people. Again though, in terms of tech, no banker is as plugged in as Quattrone (and we're not even talking about the other tech bankers there yet, who are all awesome).
But again, if you're not set on tech, then the other groups will give you exposure to a broader set of deals, and more generally known brand name.
By meeting people I mean more of your peers and assocs. Just going to training in NY for a couple of months will expose you to a lot of people within your general industry, and even if you're in a satellite SF office, it's still a larger group. You can't be hoping that your relationship with FQ is gonna be so personal that it'll compensate.
And true, you split those deals - so it's possible there's going to be an analyst at Q who would do 2-3 mega deals a year; but again, for a decent analyst at Goldman TMT it's also reasonable. And while I don't have a super hard on for IPOs and FOs and debt deals, it's still not a bad experience to be staffed on a LinkedIn IPO or something.
bump
bumpp
Here is a Relationship Mapping KnowledgeMap by MarketVisual.com of how executives of Qatalyst Partners are connected http://goo.gl/UDgi8
Let me know what you think.
Qatalyst: how much do associates/ VP's make? 1st yr associate and up? (Originally Posted: 10/11/2011)
I know their pay is much higher than normal but do anyone know what associates/ VP's pull in all in comp? 1st year associate? 2nd? 3rd? 1st year VP? 2nd? 3rd? Just wondering. Oh, and for those who think only Wharton kids get offers there, that's not true. I see they have an associate from Cornell...
dude, you're 15... go talk to some girls
I can multitask buddy
LOL. But, seriously, if you're 15, please go do something else. You wont get to be a carefree 15 year old again.
They have an IU guy too, for what it's worth. Now go play your Wii.
Why do you know what investment banking is at your age? Why?
Funny how once one guy says im too young to be here everyone else wants to say the same thing. It's ok for someone to want to be a DOCTOR or LAWYER at age 10 but it's not ok for a 15 year old to know what banking is especially after it's been a hot topic since 08? Should 15 year olds only want to be athletes, comedians, rappers, and pornstars? I'm not asking how to make a pitchbook, it's just a question about comp. IMO, it's better to know about banking at my age than finally hear about it as a Junior or Senior in college, which alot of people here did.
Haha, I don't really care if you're on this website or not.
Its ok to want to be a doctor, lawyer, banker, garbage collector at any age. Its just that most kids that want to be doctors or lawyers or even bankers are not spending their time on internet forums asking about the pay scale for specific functions at a specific advisory firm. Especially when the industry is going through major changes and comp will likely be very different in 7 or 8 years when you even have the opportunity to be an analyst let alone a VP.
People find it retarded that you are on here asking these types of questions because you haven't even taken your SAT/ACT yet (maybe not even PSAT), able to legally get a driver's license, or even apply to a damn college yet.
Your time is best spent enjoying your youth and concentrating on getting the best grades and test scores you can rather than worrying about the comp for a second year VP at Qatalyst.
Listen to this advice if you want, or don't:
There is a time for everything. And now is not the time for you to be worrying about banking, it is time for you to enjoy your youth. Believe me, it goes all too fast.
I'll be the contrarian in this situation.
I wish I knew I wanted to be banking when I was 15 instead of when I got to college. Then I might have been a bit more proactive with my curriculum in high school, and chose to apply to different colleges.
It's not a bad thing that he's interested in learning as much as he can about the industry. It's quite a leg up when you compare him to his peers, which in due time will be his competition.
Anyway, I lit Qatalyst up on LinkedIn not to long ago. Mostly Berkelee / Stanford / Wharton. Not sure about comp, but if you dig through WSO I remember reading a post with some back-of-the-paper calculations to estimate how much they are getting comp'd. for 2011 (in which they've been making it rain).
Berklee the Boston Music School? Is there more than 1 person in from there?
Or do you mean Berkeley the UC public school?
word is that 1st year vps get a seven figure base
My jaw actually dropped. I can imagine this being true. That's a filthy amount of cash for that level on the sell-side.
.
It's not true...you're an idiot
i did hear about vp getting 1m. cant confirm the rumor though as i personally dont know anyone working there
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People need to stop hyping up Qatalyst (Originally Posted: 10/12/2011)
Yes they've done well and Quattrone has great connections, but come on...there was one idiot on another thread saying first year VPs there get seven figure base, wtf?
The analysts get paid around the same as top bucket at a BB. Average comp this year is going to be above street, but that's because they've closed some big deals.
They do not only hire from Wharton, but since Quattrone is a Wharton alum they obvious recruit pretty heavily from there. However, the people I know from Wharton who work there were definitely not even in the top quartile of their graduating classes.
That being said, I have nothing against Qatalyst and I'm glad they've done well. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank Quattrone as he did not come from an upper middle class family but instead had to work his ass off to get to where he is, but I'm getting tired of seeing a new thread every day from some pubescent college kid fantasizing about working there.
i believe the hype comes from the work environment. Some friends of friends who work there claim that its work env and "friendly" senior bankers far exceeds the experience at a BB.
But then again, I've heard working on the west coast is generally more relaxing anyway.
I think the guy was being sarcastic about the seven figure base...
Yea I heard it was eight figures
bullshit, 9 figures with bonus pretax for sure.
I heard analysts get a maserati quattroporte along with their signing bonus. Can't have any scrub analysts ruining the prestige of the firm by driving a 3 series beamer... the travesty
I've heard they all are issued with diamond crowns upon finishing their first pitch book, regardless of error count.
I've heard they all are issued Swords and Shields so they all remember they are the best of the best ...real spartan warriors.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/zfxZGiJk_iE
I heard that they have secret video cameras above the urinals in their bathrooms and tape prospectives on their first round interviews. They automatically cut anyone with less than an 8 inch dick. My friend had a 4.0 from Wharton and was captain of the football team but they nixed him because he only had a 7.5 incher.
Networking can't even allow you to overcome a small penis? The asians are screwed...
Ya Qatalyst is definitely hyped quite a bit on these boards.
But, come on, analysts not being in the top quartile of their classes? All of their Wharton alums graduated magna or summa cum laude.
I think Qatalyst kind of deserves some of the hype it's getting though. Yes there are always idiots in this forum who post non-sense about salary and bonuses, but the reality is that Qatalyst is truly an elite tech shop.
Definitely not true...I know two guys who work/worked there and they were certainly not cream of the crop. However, this was 2 years ago and Qatalyst isn't has hot as it is now. I'm sure those same guys would not even get interviews with the firm now.
Has Qatalyst graduated an Analyst class yet? (Originally Posted: 03/29/2011)
Hey guys,
Quick question about Qatalyst Partners, I know they've only been around since 2008, but I was wondering if they've had any analysts cycle fully through the system yet. If so, does anybody have any idea on where this handful (if even) of analysts have gone after Q? With the quality of the deals that the teams get staffed on, I would imagine the analysts are highly desirable candidates for PE and VC, right?
I realize it's possible that they took lateral hires at first, so maybe they didn't have first-years right away (and thus haven't graduated a full class yet), this info would be useful as well.
Thanks for any and all help, Sorel
BTW, they have a sweet new site if you haven't seen it already. Way better than that mysterious single web page they used to have (which was especially ironic for the top Technology-focused practice!). http://www.qpartners.com/
.
not sure if he was part of the "true" analyst class since 08, but there's an ex-Q analyst at Accel-KKR. exit opps to SF shops (even east coast funds) should not be a problem, they have an INCREDIBLE rep in the valley and in the finance world. they pay top of the street. small, boutique vibe (smaller than LAZ / EVR and even GHL) and the culture's phenomenal. everyone dresses up for halloween -- quattrone went as batman last halloween. interviews are insanely technical and also a big emphasis on "why tech" and "why qatalyst"
alpha mail, thanks so much for the response. There's not really much info on WSO regarding Q's culture, so this is especially helpful.
SB'd you a little earlier today. Thanks again.
Holy fuck, I just saw on their website the type of deals these guys have / are involved with. E.g. 3Par acquisition by HP.
^ dude... you are very uninformed..
Not really into M&A :).
I thought u always followed Q... is anything sacred anymore?
I don't know much about Qatalyst, but did they basically just hire the entire CS tech team? It looks like most of the people are ex-CS TMT guys. I thought Quattrone came from MS TMT? Or am I missing something.
Quattrone started his career at MS a few decades ago. Became group head, but left in the middle of the 1990s (along with most of the MS team) to head the tech group at DB. Again, left DB to head up the CS tech team a few years later. He left CS due to some legal troubles.
Boutros, the head of CS tech that moved over, is Quattrone's right hand man.
The former head of CS TMT works at a Qatalyst.
what ever
radar that post makes no sense.
c'mon stop bullying me
meneversleeps=radarbanker hmmm learn how to use two accounts kid.
LOL
CMON STOP BULLYING ME
HAHAHAHA
friend there says things are going well, but n o real analyst / hardcore work, as the deals are all frank
Very interesting. Appreciate the input, thanks.
Does this mean better lifestyle/lower hours for analysts? or more bs work than one might expect at other shops?
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/the-valleys-banker-returns-to-th…
[quote=awp]http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/the-valleys-banker-returns-to-th…]
ah beat me to it
haha, sending a live mule to the prospective client...........nice
Awesome read, thanks guys.
really sounds like an awesome place to work at.
Qatalyst (Originally Posted: 08/17/2013)
So I searched some threads and seems there haven't been many discussions about Qatalyst since 2011. Anyone have any updated info? Obviously know it's a top notch shop with great deal flow and the place to be for Tech, but anything more specific would be awesome.
Also, has anyone been through the interview process or does anyone know someone who has? For FT position. All help would be appreciated. Feel free to PM as well.
Thanks, guys!
I know someone there and I don't think their placement has been that great. Probably a factor of being in SF and being a relatively smaller/newer shop. I'm sure their deal flow is great though.
Placement isn't as much of a focus at Centerview and Qatalyst - both firms shoot to keep their Analysts on-board.
That's what I figured and understood as well. I'm sure if the analysts desperately wanted PE and went through the process, they could do well. But that's not really my interest for now.
Qatalyst - Redefining Killing it (Originally Posted: 07/02/2011)
Yesterday, Dealbook announced that Qatalyst had advised GoDaddy on its sale to KKR and Silverlake to the tune of $2.25bn
This brings the total deal value of Qatalyst's announced and disclosed deals so far in 2011 to $14.35bn. This includes National Semiconductor's acquisition by Texas Instruments for $6.5bn.
If we go back 12 months, the total is $22.6bn
Multiply that by the standard 2% sell-side advisory fee, and their fee income is roughly $452m in sell side advisory fees alone. The true figure is probably higher.
Now, the real kicker is that Q has only 25 bankers, from the analyst through to partner level. That's a ttm revenue of $17.4m per employee . Notably that's also $226m per employee with facial hair.
Needless to say bonuses will be pretty freakin strong for those elite few at Q this year.
I don't know how this stacks up against other so called "elite" boutiques, but that figure is absolutely outrageous. This should erase any doubt that the "elite" boutique business model is here to stay.
Quattrone is laughing all the way to the bank...perhaps having to leave CS after that outrageous scandal is the best thing that could have happened to him.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/07/01/go-daddy-to-sell-itself-to-k-k-r…
Gotta love high school kids having wet dreams about firms they will never work at.
2% is not the standard sell side fee.
Nevertheless qatalyst has been doing very very well.
Yeah whats wrong with this guy? 2%? Go blow a banker dude.
quattrone made something like $70m one of his years with CS...I don't think you can really saying leaving CS was the best thing to happen to him. Guy's always been a beast.
Your #'s are way off though.
I've always thought that Qatalyst would be the best combination of location, experience, and prestige. Just my opinion.
2% on a multi B deal for advisory only services? Where do you work as a "1st year analyst"?
bumblefuck idaho m&a advisory, for microcap deals fees are probably 2%+ which is where he likely is getting his number from
What are the real fee numbers?
check thomson one to get an idea, still difficult to estimate since there will have been multiple advisors on almost all their deals
Probably in the 0.5-1% range.
You make an upfront agreement and a standard fee schedule would look something like this for a sell side deal...
If you sell for 500 mil, we take 0.75% of that. If you sell for 525 mil, we take 2% of that extra 25 mil. If you sell for 550, we take 3% of that extra 25 mil.
Therefore...
sell for 500 mil = 3.75 mil sell for 525 mil = 4.25 mil sell for 550 mil = 5 mill
and you can do the math on the in-betweens.
"we" You work at Q?
Did not expect such a negative reaction to this post. Just trying to draw attention to a firm that has made quite a splash recently with a small headcount.
Incidentally, you are right that I am a high schooler from Idaho, however I have done several internships with a very prestigious boutique IB shop in Boise because my dad knows a senior MD there. We specialize in M&A transactions in the "Potato Supply Chain Logistics" sector - "From the Field to the Fryer" as we like to say! Typically we do charge our sell-side clients 2% so that is where the confusion arose.
Idaho is a great state to live in for networking - I always go to the Allen conference in Sun Valley and print out like 1000 resumes and hand them out fliers on the street to all the BSDs walking around
Nice, What's your response rate?
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