Heads of research in IBs

frenchX · August 31st, 2011, 12:26 pm

Just by curiosity who are the heads of quant research for some top IBs ?I know that Peter Carr is the head of Quant Research in Morgan Stanley, Pat Hagan is in JP Morgan, Vladimir Piterbarg in Barclays, Lorenzo Bergomi in SocGen. Do you know who are the top star quants in Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, UBS, HSBC , Bank of America, Citibank and so on ?

DevonFangs · August 31st, 2011, 12:55 pm

Hum, I'm not sure there's necessarily such a thing as Almighty Head of Quant Research in all of the IBs. Plus, they might be less famous in the quant community than the ones you mentioned.

daveangel · August 31st, 2011, 12:58 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: frenchXJust by curiosity who are the heads of quant research for some top IBs ?I know that Peter Carr is the head of Quant Research in Morgan Stanley, Pat Hagan is in JP Morgan, Vladimir Piterbarg in Barclays, Lorenzo Bergomi in SocGen. Do you know who are the top star quants in Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, UBS, HSBC , Bank of America, Citibank and so on ?have you exhausted the other lot with your CV ? trying to find some pastures new ?

frenchX · August 31st, 2011, 1:01 pm

@ Devon: Yes that's my question. I'm just wondering where the mighty quants we all know finish when they go to the industry. I think it's very profitable for a bank to have a well known quant both for the skills and the name. I'm surprised that Goldman doesn't have a kick ass quant (such when Derman was). @Dave: No at the moment it's really just by curiosity. Thanks.

TinMan · August 31st, 2011, 1:08 pm

Hagan is at JP Morgan but he's not the Head of Quant Research or anything like it, he's in the CIO.BNP has both Gatarek and Musiela I believe, 2 of the 'inventors' of BGM, guess which model they don't use.With most of the marquee names I doubt they do very much work for the bank, more of a prestige appointment.I don't include Piterbarg in that.

rmax · August 31st, 2011, 1:25 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: DevonFangsHum, I'm not sure there's necessarily such a thing as Almighty Head of Quant Research in all of the IBs. Plus, they might be less famous in the quant community than the ones you mentioned.I am reminded of Traders Guns and Money (Das) where he says that the wiring diagram of a nuclear bomb is easier to understand than an FO Org chart....

daveangel · August 31st, 2011, 2:31 pm

Quote @Dave: No at the moment it's really just by curiosity. Thanks. Have you decided to spinoff into headhunting ? Have you been posing as phrench phycisist whilst in reality you are a pointy shoe, shiny suit wearing headhunter ?

Cuchulainn · August 31st, 2011, 2:45 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: daveangelQuote @Dave: No at the moment it's really just by curiosity. Thanks. Have you decided to spinoff into headhunting ? Have you been posing as phrench phycisist whilst in reality you are a pointy shoe, shiny suit wearing headhunter ?He is a shiny shoe, flashy suit physicist. I can vouch for him. You guys would get on like a house on fire.

daveangel · August 31st, 2011, 2:49 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: CuchulainnQuoteOriginally posted by: daveangelQuote @Dave: No at the moment it's really just by curiosity. Thanks. Have you decided to spinoff into headhunting ? Have you been posing as phrench phycisist whilst in reality you are a pointy shoe, shiny suit wearing headhunter ?He is a shiny shoe, flashy suit physicist. I can vouch for him. You guys would get on like a house on fire.does he like to burn tyres on NAtional trust land ?

Cuchulainn · August 31st, 2011, 2:50 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: daveangelQuoteOriginally posted by: CuchulainnQuoteOriginally posted by: daveangelQuote @Dave: No at the moment it's really just by curiosity. Thanks. Have you decided to spinoff into headhunting ? Have you been posing as phrench phycisist whilst in reality you are a pointy shoe, shiny suit wearing headhunter ?He is a shiny shoe, flashy suit physicist. I can vouch for him. You guys would get on like a house on fire.does he like to burn tyres on NAtional trust land ?Yeah, usually in the arrondisements.

frenchX · August 31st, 2011, 3:00 pm

Headhunter in finance could be a funny job though. You should meet a lot of "strong" personnalities

rusti999 · August 31st, 2011, 3:01 pm

I've seen Armen Avanessians being mentioned as the head of the quantitative group at Goldman. For BAML, it might be Leif Andersen and Alex Lipton.

frenchX · August 31st, 2011, 4:16 pm

thanks for the info Rusti999. It seems that Avanessians is "managing director" in Goldman. Derman was the head of the "Quantitative Strategies Research group". Who replace him ?

rusti999 · August 31st, 2011, 4:35 pm

Managing director (MD) is the top of the AVP-VP-director-MD hierarchy standard at most banks. It doesn't necessarily specify the responsibilities that one has. Derman was also a managing director before he left Goldman. In some places, Armen has been mentioned as the director of FICC Strategies, Equity Strategies, Investment Banking and Financing Group Strategies, and GSAM Strategies. Coincidentally, the quants in Goldman are called strategists.FWIW, before he left Goldman, Bob Litterman was the chairman of Quantitative Investment Strategies at GSAM.

frenchX · August 31st, 2011, 4:42 pm

Thanks for the detailled explanation sir !