US MBA to Singapore PE: Better to do IB in Singapore or NY/London first? How important is bank brand/presence in SEA?
Incoming US MBA student recruiting for banking. Long term goal is PE in Singapore. I’m originally from the region and speak a local SEA language, so I eventually want to move back.
Trying to think through whether it’s better to:
- recruit directly for an IB seat in Singapore, or
- do banking in NY/London first and then recruit for Singapore PE later on.
I’m also looking at US-centric EBs like Qatalyst Partners or Centerview Partners, but I’m worried they may not have the same brand equity in Singapore since they don’t really have a presence here. Is that actually the case?
Are BBs generally better for Singapore PE recruiting because they have offices and networks in the region? How about EB with a Singapore office like Evercore?
For your goal of transitioning to Private Equity (PE) in Singapore, here’s what you need to consider based on the most helpful WSO content:
Starting in Singapore IB vs. NY/London IB:
Importance of Bank Brand/Presence in SEA:
Recommendation:
Additional Considerations:
In summary, while both paths have their merits, starting in Singapore IB might align more directly with your long-term goal of PE in the region, especially given the importance of local networks and bank presence in SEA. However, if you choose NY/London, prioritize BBs or EBs with a strong global and regional reputation to keep your options open.
Sources: Non US/Europe IB/PE Overview, Choose Between Two Offers (BB/MBB) - Looking for Advice, Non US/Europe IB/PE Overview, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/london-vs-new-york-city?customgpt=1
Might need a bit more background from you
Nationality, undergraduate school, pre MBA career and country?
Is the goal to get into pe right out of MBA or get into ib first? Do you have ib experience?
PE in SG is generally non existent outside of the very few MF (KKR, TPG, CVC), the local/regional shops (Navis and the likes) and gic/temasek.
Generally these guys recruit at the junior level from BB/EB based in SG. Highly preferred to have buyside experience.
The higher up you recruit for, the more they want plug and play buyside experience. Ie, your MBA degree does very close to nothing in SG. The viable way to do so is break into buyside in the US, then transfer back to SG internally. But breaking into buyside in the USA is nigh impossible without pre MBA buyside experience.
Not an expert on visas but assume it's going to be extremely difficult to recruit for post MBA finance roles in the US if you don't have green card.
Tldr: if you don't have buyside experience pre MBA, post MBA your best bet is to be a career banker. Buyside recruiting is ridiculously front loaded to the first few years of your career
Edit
If you're from another major SEA market and speak a local SEA language, your profile would be more interesting to PE firms than a Singaporean tbh. I'd suggest speaking to recruiters and networking with regional PE firms directly - openings at mid-senior level are very ad-hoc so might be worth getting to know people for longer so that even if a role isn't available at the moment, you'll be better positioned if a role opens up. The global players have very small teams here other than TPG, Warburg, and CVC, so chances are very low unless you have some angle e.g. well-connected, proprietary relationships, etc.
Trying for country-focused/regional PE firms would be a more likely bet.
Would love to hear what you think of my other reply to this thread
.
NY/London mate, have touched on this a bit before but SG/SEA market is small with lots of differing tax and acquisition regulation making it hard for deals to actually get done. Much easier to move to SG from NY / London instead of the other way around.
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