From BB M&A to AQR
Curious to hear if anyone from IBD BB made it to AQR for any front-office/investing role? If so, how?
Is the London office big?
Trending Content - Hedge Fund Forum
Career Resources
WSO Free Modeling Series - Now Open Through
September 30, 2026
9 Free Financial Modeling Lessons
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
High Finance Applications
Guaranteed
Get at least one offer GUARANTEED
- 1:1 support
- 92% success rate
- 2,000+ mentor network
- Unlimited Live bootcamps
- AI for resume + LinkedIn
- Networking automation tools
- HireVue simulation tool
- Full course library
- Private Slack community
- 20hrs of mocks
- + much more...
Knew an alum who started out BB IBD and got to AQR but obviously it wasnt a linear path (not saying it's a bad thing). Joined a 'quantumental' HF after analyst stint, then a pod shop, then AQR in a momentum team. Didn't do a STEM degree (did economics) but was a very quantitative person I'd say. Had the CFA (if that helps at all)
Frankly i don't know why he did banking but if I had to wager it's because of the number of seats in banking, plus banking exits well to HF these days anyway
How did he join a quant HF while being in M&A?
I’ve also a decent econometrics background from my bachelors.
Not pure quant, but 'quantamental' (quant plus fundamental strategy, it's becoming bigger of a thing these days). Maybe he was in a merger arb group?
Yea, econometrics is always useful, from the AQR podcasts I hear and Cliff newsletters I read it seems heavy on factor investing, isolating factors and retrieving alpha, model validating, all that good stuff, that doesn't seem too alien for my econometrics
Yup, agree. But after +1 year of IBD, I’ve lost touch with any econ model I might have studied before. And no HH has ever contacted me for a quant role.
What are you guys doing to try to move to these places? Maybe moving to macro? Would it be a bad play to try to move to S&T from M&A in my own bank?
Cupiditate sed unde reprehenderit dolor. Quod non iste reiciendis et recusandae. Dolorem corporis earum minima quisquam id. Eos ducimus quidem enim.
Corporis earum saepe et dicta quia aliquid fuga. Quas quis tenetur et consequuntur magni eligendi minima. Neque corporis in facere voluptates totam blanditiis. Qui dolor et dolorem ut.
Illum est voluptate blanditiis hic nostrum et. Itaque est at et ut. Adipisci corporis fugit qui sunt qui ex illo. Quibusdam aliquam veniam sapiente soluta laboriosam voluptatem. Quo eligendi magni iste. Et quibusdam quis magni in quia. Sed vel facilis omnis expedita earum qui. Voluptas tempore nam id ullam delectus temporibus.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...