Thoughts on Centerview SF / Palo Alto (Comp, Culture, etc.)
Have a friend that is considering lateraling from a strong MM tech group to Centerview's tech group. Don't know if it's either in SF or Palo Alto but would love to get some insight on how their tech group performs. Some insight on comp and culture would also be very helpful. Thanks in advance!
Here are some facts to stew over: 1. Centerview SF includes biotech and a generalist practice that will cover some tech. The biotech office is the best on the street and it’s not comparable. I believe something like 13/15 biotech deals >$1bn were executed by them in 2019.
QP is the best tech M&A shop on the street and there is no doubt. However, by headcount and from an analyst experience you will get as much M&A experience at CVP Pa as anywhere on the street besides QP. Note that in addition you get the consulting / operational strategy experience that applies well to buy side experience. And this leads to:
Every single analyst that recruited this last cycle placed in a Megafund. Think TPG, Apollo, GA and / or Vista equity.
The lntern would be right if referring to the first class at CVP PA but after this last on-cycle period and current off cycle signings, you can’t touch it. The rest of the facts about pay and all are true and an added bonus (pun maybe intended). Do not make the decision based on that. Hope this helps.
Lol - there is no way someone from Centerview SF is going to Apollo.
TPG/Vista is believable.
You seem like you don’t actually know where they went.
haha Okay - then you'll just have to find another source for your friend to help make a decision. My purpose isn't to make you believe me nor is it to start laying out my friends' future employers to appease some moron behind a computer thinking that they can cherry pick what office of a firm they'd like to work for at the analyst level. I've clearly wasted my time trying to provide insight to some folks that are trying to navigate their careers but hopefully someone that has made it past the Cro-Magnon stage of evolution comes across this post and doesn't blindly choose to go a bank blindly on brand name without looking into it further.