- Insider has compiled a searchable list of more than 350 Wall Street recruiters.
- The database includes headhunters who place traders, dealmakers, portfolio managers, and bankers.
- Despite an industry-wide slowdown in M&A and IPOs, there are still bright spots in hiring.
Mergers and acquisitions may be down but hiring on Wall Street is still hot — if you know where to look.
From investment banks to hedge funds to private-equity shops, the financial industry is always on the lookout for top talent. Recruiters acknowledge that hiring has slowed in dealmaking from 2021, when rock-bottom interest rates spurred a record $5.5 trillion in M&A. But they still see pockets of hiring activity across the industry.
Just this week, the CEO of PJT Partners, which specializes in distressed M&A and refinancings, said 2023 stands to be the investment bank's "most consequential hiring year ever." And as Insider recently reported, the private-equity industry's annual race to lock in top junior banking talent kicked off earlier than ever this year — a sign of intensifying competition.
Despite the rush for junior talent, private-equity firms are not exactly desperate to hire given the dearth in deal activity, said Anthony Keizner, who focuses on buy-side recruiting at Odyssey Search Partners. "But if you can source good deals… most big firms will still be interested in you," he said.
Hedge funds are another story. Billions in capital has flooded into multi-strategy giants like Citadel, Millennium, and dozens of their peers, and they're eager to put that capital to work across an array of strategies. The latest launch — from ex-Millennium exec Bobby Jain — could be the largest history.
"This has led to a voracious appetite for talent to support this business model," said Adam Harwood, a hedge fund recruiter and founder of Cornice Recruiting. "Given the establishment of yet another multi-strat, the battle for talent will not cease for years to come, and it will be interesting to see who's left standing and who thrives."
As Insider recently reported, demand for inflation traders by hedge funds has been red hot. Macro traders, who make bets on the direction of interest rates or currencies, have also been in vogue, despite recent turmoil in that strategy.
Keizner said he's also seeing demand at hedge funds that focus on credit trading and special situations, like mergers. "Single manager, directional equity hedge funds typically haven't been receiving asset inflows and as a result, there's less hiring there."
In investment banking, dealmakers who focus on financial institutions, known as FIG bankers, have been kept busy since the regional banking crisis forced the sale of several banks, including investment banking giant Credit Suisse. Bankers who know a thing or two about lending are also in demand, thanks to growing interest in private credit.
To help financial pros navigate this market, Insider compiled a list of headhunters who help find talent for Wall Street firms. We gathered contact information for 380 names across roughly 120 firms.
We focused on recruiters who help place talent at investment banks, hedge funds, private-equity firms, asset managers, proprietary trading firms, and family offices, although some of the professionals listed have expertise in other areas, such as real estate, venture capital, and fintech.
The searchable database is made up of recruiters who focus on what's known in the industry as front-office investment professionals — traders, dealmakers, portfolio managers, bankers, and the executives those people report to. We also omitted recruiters for non-revenue-producing roles such as risk, compliance, and legal. We limited the list to recruiters who help place talent for US-based firms, and we didn't list people who recruit primarily temporary or support staff.
Think we missed someone? We'll update this database periodically. Fill out this form explaining the recruiter's role, focus areas, and contact information. Alternatively, you can email ebrownstein@insider.com.
