Pros
The experience at Greenwich Strategy sets someone up well for doing almost anything post B-School (Consulting, PE, Buy side, IB). The projects were super impactful (beyond just interesting); and often were key for clients in making 9 figure decisions. While recruiting during BSchool, these experiences were incredibly important in helping me stand out with great stories that were super relevant. A lot of our clients on the hedge fund side were renowned, and being able to talk about being a part of the decision process went a long way. Being on calls/presentations with multi-billion $ HF/PE heads while they discuss their thoughts and investment decision process. (A lot of senior guys highly valued Chris' opinions) I gained a deep understanding of what to consider when deciding the quality of a business from an owners perspective. Chris is by far the best out there at doing calls (conversations with industry execs that aids in developing insights on companies and industries). Doing calls is essential part to any good primary research process, and it is an essential and scarce skill in the HF & Consulting space. Working with Chris and doing calls alongside him has enabled me to develop an incredibly valuable primary research skill set that is super transferrable. I also actually really enjoyed doing calls. A strong sense of teamwork. We all worked together closely and would eat lunch together every day. Very supportive environment. Happy to talk about my experiences. You can find me on linkedin. Greenwich Strategy alum, Columbia Business School 2015
Cons
A lot of the transactional P/E type work has tight deadlines and results in a stressful environment. The hours tended to be cyclical, and were dictated by the deal flow. My guess would be 60-65 hour work week at the high end, but was balanced by no weekends (didn't even check email), light summers (including a number of Fridays off), and 2 or 3 weeks off over Christmas. The high expectations in terms of work quality (the price of working with top tier clients) meant for a steep learning curve. The job requires a pretty diverse skill set. Most people, including myself, don't possess the compete skill-set on day one, so there can be some challenges in coming up to speed. At a small firm, every one is a key man, creates stress to deliver at times.