William Blair & Company
VAULT RANKINGS 2013
THE BUZZ…
“Very solid middle-market bank”
“Never heard of them”
“Very good at what they do”
“Limited in scope”
NEWS AND UPDATES
Vault's Scoop
Uppers
“Great people who are intelligent and motivated”
“Amazing culture: a collaborative, meritocracy with minimal politics”
“Compensation is all cash and higher than many peers”
Downers
“Hours”
“Uncertain roadmap for promotion”
“Politics”
ABOUT THIS COMPANY:
Beyond Chicago
William Blair & Company is an employee-owned investment banking and asset management firm founded in 1935 and headquartered in Chicago. It has additional offices in cities such as Boston, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Zurich. The firm expanded in 2011 by opening an office in Sao Paolo, Brazil (giving William Blair offices on four continents) and by investing in Business Development Asia, which has offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Seoul, and Tokyo. Cross-border transactions make up about 35 percent of the firm’s M&A deals. The firm's investment banking unit focuses on the middle market, executing mergers and acquisitions, growth financing through public or private markets, special situations and restructuring, and general advisory projects. In February 2012, the firm was named "Investment Bank of the Year" by Mergers & Acquisitions magazine, and it regularly picks up numerous M&A and restructuring deal of the year honors, working for household-name clients such as Tumi, Pandora, Dunkin' Brands, and Caribou Coffee. The firm is also known for its equity research unit, which earned seven honors in The Wall Street Journal’s 2011 Best on the Street Awards, and six honors in the 2011 Financial Times/Star Mine Analyst Awards. William Blair is led by its CEO, John Ettelson, and of the firm’s 1,100 employees, 178 are principals.
Become a Gold Member or Log in to read the entire Scoop
From the Community
|
William Blair & Company Perspective
William Blair & Company HIGHLIGHTS
William Blair & Company is a global investment banking and asset management firm. We are committed to building enduring relationships with clients and providing expertise to meet their evolving needs. William Blair’s investment banking group combines significant transaction experience, rich industry knowledge, and deep relationships to deliver successful advisory and financing solutions to our global base of corporate clients. We have a highly experienced group of senior professionals, as evidenced by our average partner tenure of more than 15 years.
YOUR CAREER AT William Blair & Company
If you enjoy working in a dynamic environment that challenges you to think independently and deliver innovative solutions for clients, then William Blair is the ideal place to launch your career.
At the firm, you will work directly with senior professionals who take an interest in your personal growth. Junior bankers are not only given the opportunity to excel in their positions, they are also constantly encouraged to take on greater responsibility. Our lean deal teams allow junior bankers to gain valuable transaction experience on the front lines of investment banking.
Q&A WITH William Blair & Company
What qualifications do you require in investment banking Analysts and Associates? What is William Blair looking for in candidates?
We seek to hire candidates who are collaborative, results-driven and who have a strong professional presence, including poise and confidence. Attention to detail and great communication skills are also very important.
We hire analysts from all areas of study. Our philosophy is to hire bright, driven and personable people, regardless of undergraduate major. We provide five weeks of training to all incoming analysts to ensure everyone starts out on an even playing field. We prefer grade point averages at or above 3.5, but make exceptions for compelling candidates.
