Corp. Dev and/or Corp. Strat Role with a non-finance/accounting background?

I am ready to leave the consulting world behind & I've been eyeing corp dev or strategy roles, though would be open to other roles in industry. The thing that gives me pause is that I don't have a strong finance/accounting background (though I have a very basic understanding of both).

My background is as follows:

-Current manager at in the M&A Strategy practice of a B4 in Chicago
-Experience has all been in post-merger integration work (operations focused)
-A generalist as it relates to industry / functional expertise; though my experience has been broad across both categories
-No experience with any kind of due diligence work
-Come from a liberal arts educational background (I have a BA/history & a JD)

To you corp dev/corp strategy professionals:
-Do you work with folks with similar non finance/accounting backgrounds in your role? I hear corp dev. is especially model heavy and full of ex bankers and PE types
-Without getting an MBA, is there anything I can be doing to make myself a more attractive candidate to employers in this space?
-Any courses or certifications that could help my case? I am eyeing a few financial modeling courses
-If corp dev. and strategy are pipe dreams, where else could someone with a background similar to mind fit in an industry role?

Any thoughts or opinions?

 
Most Helpful

You've got a JD -- play that card and play it hard.

I'm on a Corp Strat/Dev team that consists of an SVP, 2 VPs, 2 Mgrs and 2 Analysts. One VP and I are the finance gurus, the SVP and 1 Mgr have a marketing background, and the last VP comes from the state (regulatory issues). Both analysts are generalists and came right out of school.

You could easily fill our Regulatory role with a JD. Yeah, it'd be better if you understood the finance aspects, and yeah, it be better if you had DD experience...but the regulatory piece is a big component of what we do, too.

Go get BIWS to brush up and sell your legal experience.

Director of Finance and Corporate Development: 2020 - Present Manager of FP&A and Corporate Development: 2019 - 2020 Corporate Finance, Strategy and Development: 2011 - 2019 "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin
 

Praesentium quam fuga voluptas perspiciatis enim autem. Et voluptate voluptatem quasi et saepe provident quaerat. Error dolorem nesciunt aut doloribus. Eum voluptatem sint modi aut dolor rerum. Doloremque architecto sit iure saepe accusantium nulla incidunt. Omnis quo accusamus aut ex dolore.

Illum omnis dolores fugit. Consequatur ea deleniti suscipit aperiam asperiores sint ipsum fugiat. Quia adipisci fugiat tempora eveniet sint eos. Quos quia eius sit nostrum et sunt sed. Porro hic quaerat minus accusamus quidem. Qui non incidunt porro maiores eius praesentium.

Laboriosam alias unde omnis illo rem. At voluptatem ipsa quae excepturi blanditiis et. Et sed pariatur est accusantium velit magnam ut debitis. Consequuntur vero sed ut quo autem nostrum. Nesciunt doloremque accusantium voluptas.

Reiciendis dolor natus quia quod. Ut harum modi incidunt inventore minus commodi. Id nobis aliquid ut cum nihil. Aut porro dolores ea aperiam natus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (85) $262
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (65) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (198) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (143) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
5
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
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...”