Youngest SMD in IB you have seen?
What is the youngest SMD or group head you have seen? (Trying to be vague not to dox this guy or myself, but this is what sparked my interest) MD at my group in an EB made MD by 30. Our group has less than 10 MDs with nearly 100 total bankers for reference - and has been one of the most profitable from 2020 until 2022. Would not be surprised if he becomes the third SMD in our group after he fully "ramps" (the firm uses this term religious to refer to early MDs) over the next 5 years.
In IB or across other finance (PE/HF/AM)? In IB I knew someone who made MD at 30. In AM/HF/PE I’ve seen group head at 29 and another SMD at 33.
Youngest Group Head I’ve seen was 43. How does one make MD by 30? Gotta be something like the below, which is insane…
22-24: Analyst
24-26: Associate
26-28: VP
28-30: Director
30+: MD
Yeap, he had ~2 year as a VP before the promote. 2 years analyst then 3 as an aso
You'll very occasionally see someone get it early due to them being both very gifted and well connected with certain clients, as in those client specifically ask for this person to cover them for a bank, have heard of a couple MDs who were 30 who fit this criteria but it is very rare. Have to be big name high fee clients. I think the last person started as analyst and bascially just did 2 years at each level rather than 3, allowing them to get it by 30. They made VP a year early for being very good then got moved from a VP2 to director 2 for having insane client relationships that they developed.
I don't even think has to be extremely gifted/well-connected. I think it's more important to be in the right place at the right time--have seen non-NYC BB MD make it to MD in 10 years
Have seen a North America group head 35 years old. Would say, however, that is was partially due to internal politics. Generating revenue becomes the biggest differentiator once you hit director. If you're in a very mature industry (shipping/metals&mining/chemicals etc), it's very difficult to do this in your 30s, particularly at an EB, where your only product is M&A. The answer is different if you're in a younger industry (healthcare or tech related) and can also offer a mix of products (ECM / private capital markets or lev fin in addition to M&A). If you look around the street, I think you'll, see that the group heads of heavy asset industries are 50+ but in more growing industries, you start to see young group heads
A bit of a tangent, but from I'm assuming a career banker to someone who's interested in staying on and perhaps becoming a career banker, any advice for which coverage groups will lend themselves more conducive to a career in banking? I'd assume that Tech may be a good place due to constant innovation/new verticals that open up opportunities for newly promoted seniors to focus on and cover, but would love to get your perspective.
While I have all these hot takes on internal politics and group heads etc... I would actually say that team selection is 100% individualistic and based on personality. Some people LOVE covering clients day in and day out and learning about an industry as much as they can. Alternatively, some people love focusing on an incredible specific part of the corporate finance life cycle and learning every single aspect of it.
Would also say that a lot of the decision is dependent on finding people you enjoy working with. You will spend 18 hours a day around these people. If you don't like them, it will make a bad job even worse
Finally in the very early years (analyst/associate), the jobs are remarkably similar. You're moving logos around in powerpoint and refreshing factset backups. The only difference really occurs in your VP/director years. Do you want to pound the pavement, work on new ideas and cover clients? Or do you want to learn every imaginable facet about your product?
At the senior level, the jobs converge again. Good coverage bankers know their products, and good product bankers have their own clients. Different paths to the same end, but a totally personal decision.
EVR used MD and SMD but doesn’t have a D - their MD title maps to a D with revenue targets
the titles aren’t apples to apples although the comp is similar (D at EVR vs MD elsewhere)
I work at EVR and we definitely have directors but like 30 worldwide
It’s for international offices (and non banking staff). One weird thing that happened recently is a VP moved from London to NY and he is up for an MD promotion while a VP a year ahead of him is currently a Director since he got promoted in the London office
Our CIO (>20bn AUM firm) is only 35 and one of the most sharpest impressive guys I’ve ever met
The head of GS’ digital finance ibd group in SF made MD at 32 and Partner this year at 34. Very impressive
Know of a North America head at a top BB group who is 35, became an MD right after 30. That bank does not have SMDs
26
https://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/csun-profiles/the-dealmaker-alumnus-and…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/meet-the-banker-behind-the-biggest-deal-of-2…
Just lol at trusting a 30 year old a few years removed from moving logos on slides to be your go to guy for a billion dollar transaction.
Found that salty 35 yrs old MBA associate
You won't believe this, but my SMD in IB was 25. Graduated college at 17 or 18, and was promoted very quickly to associate/VP level. Granted he looked much older and carried himself like a 40 yr old. Now works as a CFO of a F100 company.
How is that even possible?
He was incredibly charismatic and had a very high degree of integrity. Clients would entrust him with some of the largest deals despite him being so young. He also had a stellar academic background (graduated from an Ivy League school in just 2.5 years). Eventually decided to pursue a different role in corp dev that would allow him to semi-retire at 28 and coast for the rest of his life.
Can you please share his name and the F100 company?
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