World's Most Promising Investment Banks of 2022

World's Most Promising Investment Banks of 2022

ModernFinancialSystemandPromisingInvestment Opportunities

Investmentbankingisoneoftheworld'smostintricateyet vitalfinancialsystems.Itincludesawidevarietyoffinancial servicessuchastradingsecuritiesforone'sownaccount, mergersandacquisitions(M&A),leveragedfinancing, restructuring,andnewissues(IPO)cateringtoawiderange ofcorporateandgovernmentpurposes.

Theinvestmentbankingbusinesscontributessignificantlyto thetotalfinancialsectoroftheeconomy,notablyinthecapital andcreditmarkets.Successfulinvestmentbanksspot possibilitiestohelppromisingfirmsdevelopevenfasterand increasestockmarketliquidity.

Theseareusuallylargefinancialfirmswithstronglinksto WallStreet.Investmentbanksmakethemajorityoftheir moneyfromfeesorcommissions.They,too,haveportfolios andcanprofitfromtheirinvestments.

Asaresult,investmentbankingfunctionsasabridgebetween securitiesissuersandinvestors,assistingnewenterprisesto reachthepublicmarket.Unlikemanyothereconomic situations,investmentmanagerstypicallycomefromvarious backgroundsandcanusetheirtransferrableabilitiestogointo otherrelatedbusinesseslikeasresearch,trading,or structuringinthefuture.

Financialinstitutions,atitsmostbasic,dealwithbigger corporationsorinstitutionalinvestors.Theyprovideguidance, investmentservices,assistanceinraisingormanaging additionalcash,andoccasionallyactasprincipals. Initslatestedition“World'sMostPromisingInvestment Banksof2022”,World'sLeadershascompiledalistof

thriving InvestmentBanksfromthathaveallfaced adversityintheirfield.

ThecoverisfeaturingWeild&Co.Inc.thatisbringing togetherdispersed,independent,andprovenprofessionals tocollaborateandserveagrowingarrayofhigh-impact andinnovativeindustrieswithcriticalmassinvestment bankingproductsandservices.Industryexpertiseand coveragespansfinancialservices,insurance,healthcare, consumer,energy,cleanenergy,telecom&media,biotech, realestate,andothersectors.

Weild&Co.'sfounder,chairman,andCEOisDavid Weild.Heisawell-knowncapitalmarketsandcapital formationexpertwhohastestifiedbeforetheHouse SubcommitteeonCapitalMarketsandGovernment SponsoredEnterprises,theSecuritiesandExchange Commission,andthe34-membernationsandthe EuropeanCommissionfortheOrganizationforEconomic CooperationandDevelopment(OECD).Manyconsider himthe"FatheroftheJOBSAct"becauseoftheresearch heledtorecognizeanddefinethelong-termstructural collapseintheIPOandlisted-companymarkets.

Inthisspecialedition,letussharesimilar,inspirational talesandinterviewswithmanysuchdedicatedleadersin ordertoraiseawarenessabouttheircontributionsto makingtheworldabetterplace.

Let’sBegin!

The Changing Landscape of Investment Banking Investment Banking

Theenormouspublichealth,economic, andsociologicalconsequencesofthe worldwideCOVID-19(new coronavirus)pandemichaveexacerbated thevariablesthatareproducing obstaclesanddrivingupheavalinthe investmentbankingindustry:declining shareprices,liquiditystress,developing financiallaws,marketdemocratization, pricingpressure,growingclient sophistication,transitionstoremote workingarrangements,andrapid technologicalimprovements.

Againstthischallengingbackdrop,we believethatinvestmentbankingwill shiftfromafull-servicemodeltoasplit oftwobrokerarchetypes:"client capturers"whospecializeinfront-office tasksand"flowplayers"whofocus mostlyonmiddle-officefunctions (figure1).Thesearchetypeswillmost certainlyworkinalinked,more global—andperhapsvirtual—ecosystem thatincludespartnerpartnerships providingdiverseback-officeactivities.

Thereorganizationoftheindustry shouldprovidepossibilitiesfor investmentbankstomovetowardbetter levelsofreturn.However,organizations cannolongerfiddlearoundthemargins inordertodeliveronthisobjective. Manywillmostcertainlyneedto significantlyretooltheirpresent businessmodelsandoperational platformsinordertoprioritizeclientcentricity,disruptivetechnologies, regulatoryrecalibration,andworkforce andworkplacedevelopment. Furthermore,peoplemustselect whateverarchetypetheydesireandare capableofbeinginthenewhabitat.

TIntegratedflowisasimple,flexible,client-centricoperatingmodelthat augmentsthecapabilitiesofacommercialbankwiththoseofapartner ecosystem,producingcostreductionsbystandardizingandcentralizingthe supplyofnon-differentiatedservicesthroughoutthesector.Usinginternaland partnerdataoffersinsightintooptimizingperformanceacrossrevenueand expensedrivers,aswellasfocusingfinancialresourcesonthemostimportant activitiesandclients.

Adoptingthelinkedflowmodelwillenableinvestmentbankstoreinventtheir businessesaroundfourmajorthemes:technologicalmodernization,initiatives regarding,client-centricity,andregulatoryrecalibration.Finally,themodel willimproveefficiencybyaddressingcostconcernsthroughmoreautomation andupgradedtooling,resultinginlowerinventoryandrevenueleakage.

TheFuturewithConnectedflowmodel

Inordertogeneratedifferentiatedinsightandaddedvalue,investmentbanks willlikelyneedtoshednon-coreassetsandredesigntheirservicedelivery aroundaconnectedflowmodel—movingcapacityandprocessesacross geographiesandecosystempartners—aswellasoptimizetheiruseoffinancial technology,data,andanalytics.Theinvestmentbankevolvesintoadatadrivencompanyfocusedontheclientjourney,withmiddle-andback-office functionsshiftingtomarketutilitiesorfinancialtechnology(fintech).Alarge datacollectionwillenablethebanktomodelcustomerbehaviorandforecast clienttradingactionsandriskappetiteusingartificialintelligence,machine learning,andnaturallanguageprocessing.

Thefinancialfirmisnowanagilememberinacomplexecosystemthat addressescurrentmarkettrendsandisfocusedondifferentiatorslikerisk modelsandclientexperience.

Intheend,justafewvalue-addedtasksinaninvestmentbank'sinternal systemswouldberequired:riskmanagement,transactions,informationand dataprocessing(suchasclientdataandregulatoryreportingdata),andgeneral ledger

Julie Teitel

Delivering a High Industry Benchmark for Excellence, Innovation, Speed, and Service

Bmortgagecompanyinmyhometown, whichIwassupposedtotakeover, butasamiddlechildIwasquite determinedtowritemyownscript andmakeitinManhattan.AndI did...inthesamebusinessasmydad, noless!

Whathasmadeyousuccessful?

Belowarehighlightsoftheinterview betweenWorld'sLeadersandJulie Teitel:

Describewhoyouareasaperson, insideandoutsideofthe workplace

I'mdiligentanddownrighttenacious atwork.Withpersistenceand creativity,Ifindsolutionswhere othersmaygetboggeddownorstop, andIhighlyprizemyworkethic.I'm diplomatic,butforthright;Iliketo shootstraight.

Outsideofwork,I'vebeendescribed asaforceofnature.Iamanavid equestrianandaworldexplorer,who travelswithasenseofwonder

Describeyourbackgroundand whatdidyoudobeforeyou started/joinedthecompany? AftergraduatingfromTulane,allmy friendsmovedtoManhattan.So naturally,Ididtoo.Mydadowneda

Ithinkit'squitesimple,actually.It boilsdowntohavingcommonsense andastrongworkethic.Alucky breakdoesn'tlast.Showingupand doingyourbesteveryday,yearafter year.It'slikecompoundinterest;it buildsonitselfanditaddsup.

Whatdoyouvalue?

Honestyandintegrityaremyhighest personalvalues.ButwhatIcherish mostismyfamily.Theyare everythingthatIholddearand everythingIdoisforthem.

Whicharethemajorservicesof thecompanyandhowdotheyhelp thecompanytogetaheadinthe competition?

Weprovideresidentiallending servicestofamiliesacrosstheUS. Wehavesomeuniqueproductsthat attractacertainniche,butwhatreally bringsusbusinessisourcommitment toexceedingthecustomer's expectationsanddoingtheright thing.Ourclientstrustus,andthey comebacktous.

Julie Teitel, Home Loan Consultant, offers Citizens Bank a depth of knowledge and experience. Julie has had 27 years of expertise in the mortgage and financing sectors, and she is well regarded as a top loan officer. She has been recognized as one of the most informed mortgage specialists by colleagues as well as real estate practitioners for her commitment to her customers and her proactive ability to complete challenging loans. Julie embodies Citizens Bank's dedication to being the best in the mortgage sector by setting a high industry bar for excellence, innovation, timeliness, and service.

Whatvalue-addedservicesdoesthe companyprovide?

Weareahighlycollaborative organization,sowepartnerwithour underwritingcounterparts,ourclients' realestateagents,andtheir attorneys—everyonewhoisapartofthe transaction—toensuretimelyclosings andhelppeopleachievethedreamof homeownership.Inthecurrent environment,withunfavorablemarket shifts,wastedtimecancostadealand destroythosedreams.

Whatarethemostimportantaspects ofacompany'sculture?

Inclusivityanddiversityareso important.Givingeveryonethesame opportunitiesallowstalenttorisefrom everycorner.It'snotjusttherightthing, it'salsothesmartthing.Itexpands thinkingandresultsinbetterpoliciesand procedures.Yougethappier,more engagedemployeeswhoserveclients better.

Whatprinciplesdoyoubelieveinand howdoyoubuildthisculture?

I'mastrongadvocatefortransparent, timelycommunicationanddeliveringfor theclient.Ileadbyexample.Imanage expectationsinrealtimeandifIsay we'regoingtodosomething,Imake surethatwefollowthrough.

Whatisthesignificanceofinnovativeideasinthe company?

Innovationishighlyencouragedhere;it'sactuallyone ofourcoreprinciples.Iparticipateinaninnovative groupcalled"WonderWomen"—it'sagroupof seasonedfemaleloanofficerswhomeetonaregular basistosupporteachother'sgrowthandsuccessina heavilymale-dominatedprofession.It'sbeenoneofthe bestpartsofmyjob.

Giveusyouropinionon;doorganizationsrely heavilyonindividualheroicsorteamprocesses?

Ithinkmostorganizationstendtorewardindividual heroics,butreally,teamprocessesarethebackboneof anywell-functioningorganization.Havingefficient systemsinplacegivesleadersbandwidthforcreativity andproblem-solving.That'swhenyougetinnovation andgrowth.

Whatisthehappiestpartofyourdailyroutine?

Ilovemanagingmyteam.

Whatadvicewouldyougivesomeonegoingintoa leadershippositionforthefirsttime?

Iwouldtellsomeonegoingintoaleadershipposition forthefirsttimetogetintotheworldoftheirteam. Understandwhattheirdaylookslike,whattheyneedto dotodotheirjobswell.Understandwhatmotivates themandwhat'sabuzzkill.Andsimilarly,youhavea solidunderstandingofyourself.Youshouldknowhow youworkbest,whatbringsyouenergyandwhatdrains you.

today ?

investment banking today ?

How are new trends influencing the future of

Everythingchangedin2020.Finance wasnoexception.Thefirsthalfof 2020dealmakingwas$971billion,a 6.6percentyear-on-yearreductionin valueanda15.5percentdropindeal count.Incomparison,thesecondhalf oftheyearhadthegreatest dealmakingactivitysince2007,with $2.2trillionintotalM&Aactivity.

Wethinkthatthemanagementvision andsupportthatleadstoamarriage betweenthebusinessandtechnology teamsisoneofthemostimportant factorsintheirsuccess.Whatisthe imperative?Innovatequicklyandat scale.

Bankscancollectconsiderablymore dataaboutclientandprospect interactionbyemployingintelligent marketingautomationtechnologies toprovidehigh-valuecontentpieces totheiraudiences,includingabetter pictureofwhoisactivelyinteracting withthemonsocial,onwebinarsand analystcalls,andmore.Event engagementdatafromsystemslike asMeetMax,CVent,andZoom,for example,isintegratedintoSalesforce sothatabankercanquicklyand easilytapinto360-degree relationshipinsights;itispossibleto pictureatomorrowinwhichthe studyreportsthataventurecapital

Enegotiatorreadsarealmostassuggestiveofinterest asthegoodold-fashionedcallnotesthebankermay record.

TheappropriatetypeofAIandpredictiveanalytics arerequiredtomakesenseofallofthisfirst-party, second-party,andthird-partydata(andthepossible ramificationsfortherestofyourcompany).Withthe advancementoftechnologyoverthelastdecade, investmentbanksarebeginningtoleveragethe powerofAIandmachinelearningtogetpreemptive notificationswhentheirprofessionalnetworksalter.

RobotswillnotreplaceManagingDirectorsor executives,buttheywillincreasethespeedofdealmakingandmakeitfasterandeasierforyourteamto receivetheinformationtheywant,whentheyrequire it.AIandbotsmayhelpinvestmentbankswithhighpressuredeals,reducinghumanmistakeon complicatedcontracts,automatingthesigning process,orjustensuringthatmeetingschedulingis flawless.

Manyofthebankswe'veworkedwithovertheyears havestartedtouse10+yearsofSalesforcedatato lookatpredictivebidrangesandspreads,toinform dealteamstaffingwithaneyetowardmaximizing successfeesandminimizingtimetodealclose,and tosurfacereal-timetrendsaboutclientandsponsor behaviorusingtoolslikeEinsteinPredictionBuilder, EinsteinDiscovery,andTableauCRM.

Silverlinetakesitsresponsibilityasanexpertservice providerextremelyseriouslyasorganizationsaimto enhancetheiranalyticsanddatasciencecapabilities inordertobettermonitorandinvestigatetheir portfolios.Ourpurposeistogiveindustryinsights andexperienceingrowingtechnologysectors,as wellaspracticaltipsonhowtoachieverapid outcomes.Thelong-termclientrelationshipswe valuethemostarebuiltinthepracticeof cooperation,whichallowsustocreateand implementinnovativetechnologicalconceptsthat benefitdealmakersandinvestors.

Marc Cooper

Solomon Partners, a prestigious financial advisory company with a history as one of the earliest independent investment banks, is led by Marc S. Cooper as its CEO.

Solomon Partners received a strategic investment from Natixis in 2016, the worldwide corporate and investment banking, asset management, insurance, and financial services branch of Groupe BPCE, under the leadership of Mr. Cooper. Solomon Partners' clients have expanded access to global advisory services and exclusive financial resources across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and the Americas thanks to the partnership with Natixis.

Under Mr. Cooper's leadership, Solomon Partners has experienced significant growth and diversified sector coverage and today serves clients across a broad range of industries, including Consumer Retail; Financial Sponsors; FinTech; Grocery, Pharmacy & Restaurants; Healthcare; Infrastructure, Power & Renewables; and Technology, Media & Telecommunications.

Leading One of the Oldest Independent Investment Banks in Existence

Belowarehighlights oftheinterview conductedbetween World'sLeadersand MarcS.Cooper: Describeyour backgroundand whatdidyoudo beforeyou started/joinedthe company?

WhenIwasajunior inhighschool,Itoldmyfather,whobecameastockbroker laterinlife,thatIwantedtofollowinhisfootsteps.He suggestedIbecomeaninvestmentbankerinstead,andI decidedtopursuethatpath.

AfterobtainingbothmyBAandMBAfromNewYork University,IbeganmyinvestmentbankingcareeratKidder Peabody.Fromthere,Ico-foundedandservedasVice ChairmanofBaringtonCapitalGroup,whereIoversawthe firm'sinvestmentbankingoperations.

AfterjoiningSolomon23yearsagoasapartnerand managingdirector,IservedasViceChairmanforthree yearsbeforebeingappointedCEOin2016.Earlierthat year,IledatransactionwithNatixis,whichispartof GroupeBPCE,atop10Europeanbank,inwhichNatixis madeastrategicinvestmentinSolomon.Thepartnership

hashelpedussignificantlyexpandthefirmsince2016,from 35bankerstomorethan140,andthenumberofindustries weservefromtwoto14.

Tellusabouttheinceptionofthecompany.Howdidit allstart?

SolomonPartnersistheoldestprivateindependent investmentbankingfirmstillinexistenceandwascreated toincorporatetheethosandcultureofthetraditional investmentbankswiththeentrepreneurialspiritofa collectivepartnership.

Thefirmwasfoundedin1989asthePeterJ.Solomon CompanybyMr.Solomon,andhecontinuestoserveasthe firm'sChairman.Previously,Mr.SolomonwasVice ChairmanofLehmanBrothers,wherehewasChairmanof itsMerchantBankingDivisionandCo-Chairmanofthe InvestmentBankingDivision.

Whataretheprimaryserviceofferingsofthecompany andhowdotheyhelpthecompanygetaheadofits competition?

Weadviseclientsonmergers,acquisitions,divestitures, restructurings,recapitalizations,capitalmarketssolutions, andactivismdefenseacrossarangeofindustries.These include: Ÿ BusinessServices Ÿ ConsumerRetail Ÿ FinancialSponsors Ÿ Grocery,Pharmacy&Restaurants Ÿ Healthcare Ÿ FinTech Ÿ Infrastructure,Power&Renewables Ÿ Technology,Media&Telecommunications ThroughourpartnershipwithNatixis,wecanalsoprovide clientswithglobaladvisoryservicesandproprietaryaccess tofinancingcapabilitiesthroughoutEurope,AsiaPacific, theMiddleEast,andtheAmericas.

Wegetaheadofthecompetitionbyofferingunmatched industryknowledgeinthesectorswecover,creating superiorvaluethroughunrivaledwisdom.

Whatarethemostimportantaspectsofacompany's culture?Whatprinciplesdoyoubelieveinandhowdo youbuildthisculture?

SolomonPartners'cultureisbuiltonhonesty,integrity,and acollectivecommitmenttoprovidingclientswithsound, unbiasedadvice.Weareguidedonadailybasisbythese valuesandpursuetheminacollaborativeenvironmentthat promotesexcellenceandcreativity

Formanyyears,ourfirmhasfocusedoncreatinganopen, collaborative,andeducationalenvironment,andwework hardtomaintainaworkplacewhererespectand professionalismarenotjustvaluedbutexpected.Solomon

hasbuiltthisculturebyseekingoutemployeeswithstrong ethicalfoundations.Wetreatourcolleaguesthewaythey deservetobetreated,andwedon'ttoleratebadactors.

Whatisthesignificanceofinnovativeideasinthe company?

I'mabelieverintheoldadage,innovateordie.Iamalways onthelookoutforwaystoimprovethewaywedothings, andthatincludesstayingabreastofthelatestinnovationsin everythingfromtechnologyandofficedesigntothewaywe interactwithclients.That'sledustooverhaulour workspacestocreateanofficedesignedforthefutureand makesureouremployeeshavethetraining,resources,and technologytoworkattheirfullcapacitywherevertheyare.

Ialsoinviteinputfromstaffatalllevels.Akeydriverof Solomon'ssuccessisthatwe'renotonlyopentoinnovation, butweactivelyencourageit.

Giveusyouropinionon;doorganizationsrelyheavily onindividualheroicsorteamprocesses?

AsmycolleagueJoeStein–whohasbeenwiththefirmfor over20years–likestosay,"there'snoIinteam."Solomon Partnersisverymuchwhatournameimplies:apartnership. Wesupportoneanotherbecausethat'swhat'sbestforour staffandforourclients.

Solomonhasaverycollaborativeenvironment.Ourhardworkinganalystsareasmuchapartofoursuccessastheir moreseasonedteammates.Frommyperspective,everyone whogivestheirverybestisaherohereatSolomon.

WhatareyourresponsibilitiesastheFounder/CEOof thecompany?Whatisthehappiestpartofyourdaily routine?

AsCEOatSolomon,Iamresponsiblefornotonlyleading thefirm,butalsosettingthestrategicdirection.Giventhat weareingrowthmode,Iamastewardofthefirm's expansion.Ialsobelieveit'svitaltoserveasarolemodel bysettingagoodexample,strivingtodomybestand makingmyselfavailabletoassistcolleagues.Ifasenior bankerasksmetomeetwithaclientorprospect,I'mthere. Ifajuniorbankerasksforguidanceontheircareerpath,I provideit.IfourChiefPeopleOfficerwantsmeto volunteerwithourinternsonaparkimprovementproject,I rollupmysleeves.

Thehappiestpartofmydailyroutineismentoringmy colleagues.Itgivesmegreatpleasuretoseethemgrowand succeed.

Whatadvicewouldyougivesomeonegoingintoa leadershippositionforthefirsttime?

ThetoptipsIwouldprovidetopeopleintheirfirst leadershippost–aswellassomeonejustgettingstartedin banking–istosucceedyouhavetolovewhatyoudo,and youshould"worktolive,notlivetowork."It'svitaltotake careofyourselfandkeepthingsinperspective.Tobe successfulinbanking,it'scriticaltostrikethatbalanceand thosethatdon'tgenerallyflameoutfast.