The conversion of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs into bank holding companies will likely drive high-stakes, high-risk-loving finance professionals into the open arms of boutique investment banks. "The move to become a bank changes everything - the regulator, the line of business - and the obvious outcome is a segregation of what is the focus and what's not the focus," says Ricardo Kaufmann, head of full service brokerage for Bulltick Capital... Read more
By Dona DeZube 23 Sep 2008 - 2 comments
The move by Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to convert to bank holding companies will mean more work for accounting and compliance professionals in the short run, but may lead to eventual layoffs, industry observers say. Things are bound to be busy in the back office immediately following the conversion, says Ricardo Kaufmann, head of full service brokerage for Bulltick Capital Markets in Miami. That's because the move from Securities and... Read more
By Dona DeZube 23 Sep 2008 - 0 comments
Women who rise to the upper levels of business follow the same recipe for success as men as they combine vision, intellect, guts and hard work with their ability to influence others. They also add another ingredient: authenticity. That's the conclusion reached by Julie Wolf, Ph.D., managing director of RHR International, a corporate psychology firm based in Illinois. Wolf conducted in-depth interviews with some 100 female executives ranging from vice presidents... Read more
By Dona DeZube 08 May 2008 - 2 comments
Elizabeth Taylor excepted, most people change jobs more often than they do mates. But no matter how many times you do it, looking for a new position when you already have one can be tricky. What behavior is reasonable and what crosses the line? "Keep in mind that even though you may be looking for a new job, you still must devote your full attention to your current company while in... Read more
By Dona DeZube 25 Sep 2007 - 1 comment
"If you want instant gratification, this isn't the job for you." How did you break into private equity? I was a Johns Hopkins University undergraduate and was enrolled and planning to attend Harvard Law School. On a whim, someone from Morgan Stanley I played tennis with said, "I'm going to save you from a fate worse than death. Come and interview for this investment banking job." I was a political science major who... Read more
By Dona DeZube 09 Aug 2007 - 0 comments
Sometimes, a good thank you note can mean the difference between being invited back for a second interview and winding up in the "Thanks, but no thanks" pile. "The most sincere ones are hand-written on a card and mailed," says David Clarkson, vice president of human resources at Vitale, Caturano & Company, a Boston CPA firm. "There's nothing wrong with an e-mail, but a written thank-you note comes across as more... Read more
By Dona DeZube 16 Apr 2007 - 2 comments
Successful corporate bankers - those who provide services to large companies and governments - are rarely active job seekers and almost never job hoppers. When a new opportunity does find them, they must consider how a move could affect their client base as well as themselves. Whether you're moving to start a product line or earn more money, you'll want to make sure clients will come along to your new institution.... Read more
By Dona DeZube 21 Nov 2006 - 0 comments
A Q&A with William Richards, executive director and UBS hedge fund relationship director: "Get out on the risk curve and be willing to have opinions on investments and express those opinions." William Richards travels the globe spreading the gospel of hedge funds. He's also deeply involved in UBS's summer internship program, and serves as a director to seven non-profit organizations. He began working with hedge funds in 1983, when he started... Read more
By Dona DeZube 13 Sep 2006 - 1 comment