How to navigate smelly MD

Dealing with a difficult problem - the MD has bad body odor and doesn't realize/doesn't care (but probably the former as since you smell like that all the time, you don't notice). He also chain smokes so you first get hit with the BO and then get hit with the cig smell.

Problem is nobody has brought it up, even with subtle reminders like analysts buying febreeze/air fresheners, but he hasn't seemed to notice. Ultimately nobody seems to want to tell him since he micromanages and would def take it the wrong way.

And now that we are in 5 days RTO, can't really avoid it. Especially bad when he's leaning over your shoulder and you cannot breathe. One of the associates even started wearing a face mask in the office at times saying he was sick, but I think it was because of the odor. Any ideas?

14 Comments
 
Funniest

Create a burner email and send an email to him or the team distribution email

 

Buy some Febreeze and give him a Febreeze shower. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 
Most Helpful

I met up with this person from an online finance forum at a CFA L2 class in NYC. We were online buddies and it was good to see him. We sat next to each other for the class, which was about 3 hours. The SECOND we sat next to each other there was this cloud of stench around him. He was wearing a Nirvana shirt with holes in it so at first I was like yeah right on kind of grunge. But, the SMELL kept seeping out of him and I debated leaving the class with a diarrhea excuse or something. But, I ended up staying and literally absorbed NOTHING from the seminar. The stench was unreal. I lasted the whole 3hrs said pleasant goodbyes and upon leaving was so glad to have my air space back. I rode my bike home and the FRESH NYC AIR was exhilarating to my lungs. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Id sapiente eaque vel neque sapiente. Suscipit omnis magnam qui vitae culpa sit. Laboriosam voluptas in ex dolor. At velit ducimus et ex eos.

Optio dolorem non omnis. Et quos vel consectetur nostrum quo eum. Repellat et ex pariatur animi. Fuga repellat dolorem aut et sunt inventore. Sequi excepturi culpa sint et cumque qui. Distinctio praesentium tempore ut fugiat quia.

Cum et voluptatem et cumque. Dolorum omnis et exercitationem aut numquam. Sapiente quibusdam ea suscipit earum. Nihil corporis eum maiores inventore. Ratione non aliquid recusandae et dolor qui quo. Nam nesciunt soluta quia. Consequatur vero qui aut voluptatibus.

Laudantium aut ea enim quo placeat. Ut qui et ratione vero. Error odio nam ut eos assumenda omnis et et.

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan No 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”