Fastest/Craziest Promotion Timelines You've Seen

Long story short but an Associate 2 at my firm just got promoted to VP a year early, and while they're a superstar, I was wondering how common these earlier than usual promotions are and if there are other things that sometime go into them rather than just merit or performance. 

I also just saw another thread recently about TD Securities / TD Cowen that appearently their SF healthcare group a year ago promoted a female Associate 1 to VP despite graduating in '21 and having only 3.5 years of experience under her belt, rather than the traditional 5.5/6.5 years of experience most EB / BB VPs have...

Curious to know if anyone else has heard of a crazier promotion timeline and the factors that typically go into it.

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Typically you only ever see crazy fast promotions at like very small newly created boutiques with like 6-to-7 people and their might be only one ANL1 who ends up having to take on more responsibility than any analyst should ever be expected to handle at most banks, and an earlier than usual promotion is usually to acknowledge the greater-than-expected responsibility and as a way to make sure that they don’t go elsewhere as by that point they’ve become a pivotal member of the team. A friend of a friend was in this position as a ANL1 at a newly formed MM boutique and as a result got promoted to ASO1 after the first year. 

But to go from ANL1 to VP1 in 3-and-a-half years at a semi-BB like TD is insane. Definitely some other factors must’ve played into it.

 
Funniest

We have only ever seen these rapid promotions at Canadian banks which have strong DEI agenda.


Almost all the time, it involves an attractive female who is work wife of an D/MD. Very rare are these promotions rooted in competency. The MD paints this female as a superstar while in reality usually they are in some sort of inappropriate relationship.

 

Those are nepo kids, and they will be just fine without a job too. We are discussing accelerated non-nepo promotions here. 

 

Any of the big name guys in finance today were making partner at Solomon / DLJ / Drexel in ~10 years.

If we’re talking current though, James Wyper at Stonepeak (and many of the heads at SP) had crazy fast promo timelines. They joined the right fund focused on the right industry at the right time and it worked out excellently for them. 

 

Worked alongside the west coast TD cowen healthcare team before and can say that the VP in question is really smart but also very attractive, so wouldn't be surprised if that played some role. I will say that the group seems to be a very female dominated group at all levels. Take a look for yourself on LinkedIn. Not making this up but one of the MDs is named Karen and their ECM HC MD Mariel is extremely attractive.

 

Smart is subjective. TD has a rep of enforcing gender quotas and/or prioritizing women in promotions and as a result mid ranks are inundated with DEI Beckies. 

 

In the 90s my Dad went from analyst to MD group head in 5 years. He became group head at 27, granted this was in S&T but at a BB

 

Easiest way for Group Heads and MDs to consolidate their position at Canadian banks is to promote as many women as they can and project themselves as gender inclusive leader. Keeps bank executives and HR happy. Classic self preservation strategy especially for rainy days when deal activity is weak. 

 

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