Non MBB --> PE/VC

I have seen a ton of content on this site about Ibanking --> PE. Why can't management consultants in FS break in? Granted they have similar skillets, why is it so much more difficult? Would it only be possible for MBB? -Genuinely curious

7 Comments
 

Also interested in this question. I'm currently applying for Strategy&'s Deals Team and I think it would certainly be possible to exit into PE from this job (if I get it).

 

PE teams rely on their deals team and usually dont have an operational team. An IB background is much more suitable when working with financial models.

McK/Bain flow into PE pretty frequently like @redfishbluefish said, but Parthenon and LEK place into MM pretty well. Ive heard that OW is a mixed bag as a FS background doesnt translate to PE as well as other firms

 
Best Response

I think you need to differentiate between fs consulting and IB. In consulting, financial services can be the industry, but not necessarily the function. In IB, financial services is the function, but not necessarily the industry.

I.e. you could be working for OW on the behalf of a regional bank to help them dig into their growth strategy. The industry here is financial services, but the function is not financial services. That differs from IB in which you will be doing M&A/ECM/DCM (read: fs) for companies in a range of industries.

PE firms like to hire consultants generally who have worked on a lot of commercial due diligences, because this is similar work to what is done in the investment team at a PE fund (or they just hire from MBB for the smart people/name brand). That’s why you see firms like Bain/McK and then LEK/Parthenon/OW place into PE. These firms do a lot of PE CDDs, and there aren’t many (any?) other major players in the CDD consulting space.

 

Soluta et ad voluptatibus ipsam omnis voluptatem incidunt. Velit temporibus fugiat itaque unde voluptatum molestias illo nam.

Quis id qui qui eveniet quaerat est eos. Deleniti rerum ullam enim repudiandae magnam quia.

Qui ullam modi ut omnis nemo. Error numquam deleniti temporibus et. Magnam natus praesentium sed tempora molestiae autem. Nihil laborum et consectetur incidunt voluptas voluptatem est hic. Beatae debitis rerum vel consequatur laboriosam blanditiis et esse. Est ullam reiciendis est minus mollitia omnis laudantium.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”