IB to MBA Advice

Hi guys,

I post here under a different account, but to remain anonymous have made this throwaway. I'll be slightly obscuring my story for obvious reasons. I'm in IB at a top boutique outside of new york. I went to H/Y/P and applied for a deferred enrollment MBA program (think HBS 2+2 or GSB deferred). The time to decide whether to go or not is inching closer and I am struggling with the decision.

I have really enjoyed my time in banking and to be honest, I could see myself staying in banking for the long run. Hours are terrible, but have been improving. Compensation at my group is well above street (our first year A1's were around ~350k all-in last year, with one rockstar getting 400) and I have been promised a direct promotion to associate after two years if I stay. Given this, it's difficult to push myself to leave. I recognize that I am incredibly fortunate to be in this position and to have these options available.

On the other hand, there are some risks with staying on with my current group. My group covers a particularly active industry and is outside of New York. I do worry that I will further pidgeonhole myself into the industry by sticking with them. Additionally, and I'm not sure if this is a realistic concern or not, my group is not a BB or an elite boutique like Evercore. I chose this group for the experience, culture, and comp, which have all been fantastic, but I feel that the lack of a brand name may limit me in the future. Lastly, it is very obvious that there are one or two key MDs in my group that bring in a majority of the dealflow. My group is relatively small, so there's potential for the group dynamic to drastically change if those two leave.

All of this being said, how much will HBS or GSB benefit me? I feel as though corporate development jobs at this stage will be a severe paycut and not be worth it given that I like my current job. I'll also likely be excluded from PE recruiting, as I have no pre-MBA PE experience. However, if at a much later point in my career I am fortunate enough to reach a stage at which I am being considered for executive level positions, will not having an MBA limit me? In example, I feel as though a majority of hired C-level positions have MBAs. I realize this is very far into the future, but I believe that the later I get my MBA, the more expensive it becomes because of the opportunity cost. I have heard of senior people in banking moving into CFO positions at companies, but haven't heard anything about moving into other high level positions or CEO/COO.

As it sounds, I am really happy with my job despite the aforementioned concerns. In my opinion, the MBA grants me another level of optionality and flexibility with my career path that I currently feel is narrowing. Though my current self is very content, I do not want to regret my lack of an MBA later in life. I would greatly appreciate any advice or suggestions you have for me. Thanks so much guys