Morgan Stanley, the "White-Shoe Firm"?
This continually comes up whenever I see a post online describing Morgan Stanley. Does anyone have any thoughts on the culture? Is it excessively formal and stiff, or do you think the firm is changing?
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By far the most ivy populated firm on the street.
My buddy went to a diversity event for MS and before standing up and asking a question the MD said "this better not be a stupid question about the economy or interest rates," My buddy asked the MD, "No, what is your perspective on diversity and how it effects the work culture at MS". The MD stood up and said "You have 10 seconds to prove yourself and that's the question you asked????? What's your first and last name???" Needless to say my friend almost started crying in the cab ride home.
Know a few non-core students who were asked "who are you and how did you get in here!?!?!?!"
Haha wow.
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haha. I would have given a fake name to the MD.
That is a total SJW question though...
Brutal.
MD is kinda an idiot, what kind of reputation is he creating for the firm, he is supposed to pretend that he cares about diversity on a fucking diversity event, and not abuse those URM kids... Should have bullshited the question and then asked the name.
was at a diversity event... decides to ask about the diversity culture... look around you and where you are at....
I don't believe this story only because the culture might be like this in private but definitely never ever in public. The one thing all BBs have in common (especially at GS/MS) is public relations. Insulting a junior employee at his/her desk is normal. Insulting a junior employee in a public forum could get that managing director fired, believe it or not.
Furthermore, MS is hungry for talent. If I were a talented URM from a target school at MS, it isn't uncommon that I'd be poached by other firms, especially if I am an intern and trying to leverage a FT offer for something "better." Why would a managing director want to insult potentially a future, say, Rebecca Dorrian or Marlon Chigwende?
(feel free to look them up)
Furthermore, that question, although boring, isn't unreasonable. No one "proves" themselves by asking one question. Its hard enough to "prove yourself" with a 2 min elevator pitch let alone with a perfectly reasonable, on-topic question at a diversity event.
I call bullshit.
If this was the URM event, I was there. This could not be farther from the truth, everyone from analyst to MD was super respectful answering any questions, and nobody asked for any names.
I've def had the worst experiences that way with MS tbh.
I personally would never have asked a question about the economy or diversity, but damn, that MD was harsh. You'd think that they'd have amazing social skills to have made MD, but one high up person (not in finance) once told me they were only "nice to the people that mattered." I guess that's what that MD is like.
And to clarify, while I would never have asked that in general, I think that is a great question to ask at a diversity event. If you don’t mind me asking, was the MD a URM? I say all this as an ORM (Asian male).
I'm always up for a challenge here I come.
Respetto.
Mr. Lahey is this you or the liquor talking?
Banking is like the anti-government. They think the same way, except banks can usually say it and govs can't. A bunch of hardos who don't realize it's 2017.
they let me wear black or brown shoes when I was there
But were they Cole Haans?
if you want to be uncomfortable. hush puppies all the way
This isn't the case anymore. That specific phraseology is antiquated. The term used to refer to, for example, law firms that only hired from one school (i.e. specifically Harvard Law School). You see this being played out in modern TV shows like Suits.
Despite being one of the earliest banks to IPO (1986), it still had that partnership mentality. Internship classes were small and the pool drew exclusively from Columbia, Wharton, and Harvard business schools. Think of these like banking "prep schools," where the culture is visibly distinct and a little more prim and proper than the average (especially at HBS... even today).
I had an old buddy years ago who once revealed his alma mater to his managing director at Morgan receive a "how the hell did they let you in here?" He went to Duke and his managing director was an HBS alum. Despite being jocular at the time, it could give you an insight into the subconscious somewhat.
Nowadays, private clubs in New York allow women to be members and Morgan Stanley hires kids from a diversity of backgrounds... even Duke, believe it or not. The term is called "progressivism."
Is your profile picture Andy Fastow aka "the man who actually did nothing wrong but took the bullet for Ken Lay"?
Everything I did was either implicitly or explicitly sanctioned by Ken and Jeff.
Username checks out . . .
Fastow came to my school to speak, 50/50 students interested to hear his story and SJW wanting to publicly roast him. The Q&A was great.
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How did you work in M&A at Morgan Stanley for 5 fucking years without making Analyst?
Maybe he joined after his analyst years...
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Having my first interview at Morgan Stanley this upcoming Monday. One thing I'm going to speak about is how Morgan Stanley has a culture of accepting people from different background in simple terms "diversity". Even though we Chinese people will never be consider for diversity but, I still want to say diversity is not bullshit at Morgan Stanley. Look at Carla Harris. I also get the chance to meet with a couple previous IB analyst, now part of firm management, who just left for HBS. Diversity is highly embrace at MS. So, I call the story BULLSHIT or it was that MD's last day at work.
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