Athos Partners Overview - Overpromise and underdeliver

Athos Partners is a niche Private Equity Placement Agent with two global offices in Monaco and NYC. The shop is run and controlled by the Managing Partner who is a tyrant. There are very limited resources or reviews about Athos Partners online so I wanted to provide some clarity for those that are thinking about joining. This post is not meant to slander the firm, but merely present an accurate depiction of the company. 

The firm has raised roughly 50 funds to date with all 50 being in Europe. The firms management (1 person) claims he wants to invest and raise funds in the United States but that seems like a marketing ploy to lure analysts and associates to the small NYC office. With a quick LinkedIn search you can see some immediate red flags being 1) there sheer lack of senior leadership 2) the amount of past employees that have worked at the shop for 1 year or less and 3) the constant recruiting efforts for analysts and junior analysts. The place hires and fires more than any other placement agent or investment bank and it is with total disregard or care for the human being. 

When you interview you will speak with the Managing Partner and he will blow smoke during the call and tell you his grand fantasy of having 20 clients in a year and promoting everyone and paying out large bonuses and that often entices analysts and associates to join. What he wont tell you is that the entire junior team of the company (15-20 people) will turnover every 2 years and that your performance reviews are totally subjective and that the small bonus he will pay you is "out of the good of his heart despite you underperforming". Not one analyst or associate has more than 2 years experience at the shop. 

My buddy and roommate who worked at this shop was under constant scrutiny for not bringing in clients and not converting LPs into underperforming funds that Athos was representing. There are many personal horror stories of working 100 hour weeks but that is not the point of this forum- this post is not about debunking the stigma around brutal working hours, it is about highlighting the inhumane and psycho climate that festers at Athos due to upper management. I distinctly remember my mate being called retarded and technically stupid for making minor errors, in no way is the acceptable. In short, if you want to make below average money, work under a tyrant and be micro managed for 6-12 months before you come to your senses, you should take the job. If not- steer clear of this place.

Due to the sue happy nature of the managing partner, I will not be exposing any specifics of my roommates time at the shop. The perk of 40+ analysts and junior analysts getting fired / quitting in the last 3 years is strong anonymity I suppose.  Lastly, when you interview you will likely speak with some of the junior team at the firm- they are, for the most part, awesome.

Hope this helps inform the masses

Ciao