Vault’s Verdict

A very prestigious investment banking boutique, Centerview is looking for well-rounded, driven, intellectually curious, creative thinkers with excellent communication and interpersonal skills and a strong interest in finance. For students, the firm runs an extremely valuable internship program. Interns have access to live deal experience, in-house training, informal and formal mentoring, networking events, and the ability to work alongside MDs and partners. For its full-time junior bankers, Centerview offers extensive learning and growth opportunities, including a high level of responsibility on live transactions, very helpful formal training led by bankers within the firm, firmwide webinars, lunch-and-learn sessions with senior bankers, informal and formal mentorship opportunities, and a culture that’s focused on nurturing the next generation of the firm’s leaders.

Given the nature of client-facing work, hours can be long and unpredictable. However, Centerview’s senior bankers are considerate of junior bankers’ time and care about their development, making sure juniors get time to recover after busy periods. In addition, the live deal work is always meaningful and interesting, the perks are plentiful, and the culture is very collegial, all of which makes the difficult stretches worth it. Meanwhile, compensation is at the very top of the Street. Salaries and bonuses are extremely generous; benefits are also top tier. The only minor negative, according to insiders, is the lack of a 401(k) match. With respect to wellness offerings, insiders very much appreciate the in-house gym, in-house chefs, internal sports teams, and culture that values staying physically and mentally fit while on the job.

With respect to DE&I, the firm has made a strong effort to hire and retain various underrepresented groups. In fact, at the junior level, some analyst classes have had more females than males. In addition, military veteran hiring is very strong. As for the firm’s business outlook, Centerview is filled with industry-leading senior bankers, employee morale is strong, and business continues to grow—competitors appear to be unable to replicate Centerview’s differentiated model of providing clients with genuine business insights and flawless deal execution, so the firm keeps winning.

EMPLOYEE REVIEWS

Hiring Process

“First rounds generally led by campus teams and consist of one behavioral and one technical interview (one hour total). If selected for the Super Day, candidates will come to NYC for a dinner and a few hours of interviews the next morning (five interviews, two-on-ones, different themes to each). Callbacks are quick—within 24-48 hours.”

“Interview process is very people-driven, no digital aspect whatsoever. Candidates meet a very high number of the employees during the process so everyone has a view on each candidate and a consensus is made. The ideal candidate is highly intelligent and very focused and driven to be working in M&A and at Centerview in particular. Also important are having exceptional interpersonal skills and being well balanced (what you spend time doing outside of academics).”

“Two words: energetic curiosity. If you are someone who is driven to learn and solve complex problems, Centerview is the right place for you. An interest in finance is important but is frankly secondary to a well-rounded thinker and communicator. An openness to a longer experience at the firm than a typical two years to PE is helpful as well.”

“I think the ideal Centerview candidate is someone who is thoughtful about the world and the way things work and has a genuine material interest in trying to understand the why behind everything they do and look at. I think this is unusual in the banking world where banks tend to prioritize just pure technicals and memorization rather than an ability to actually think through something.”

Interview Questions

“The interview process consists of several technical interviews, but the majority of questions revolve around behavioral/market-sizing/riddle-like questions. A lot of mental teasers to test ability to think critically since the classic technicals can just be memorized.”

“Lots of out of the box type questions, many of which are more consulting type. Standard technicals and behaviorals as well. Very comprehensive process.”

“Centerview asks very unique interview questions designed to make you think outside of the box: Hypothetically, how would teleportation affect the global economy? What is the most defining moment in global history for the human race? What is the best song ever made?”

“Analyze some sales data and trends in one market and present key findings as if presenting to a client. Walk me through a DCF. Walk me from Market Cap to EV. How do you value a company? Tell me about a time you had to make a decision that went against your morals. What is your management style? Tell me about yourself away from your interest in finance.”

Intern Experience

“Centerview provided us with a well-rounded experience by giving us real impactful work while respecting that we are still college students and not full-time bankers. They paired us with mentors who actually acted as mentors. We had in-house training (properly preparing us for the tasks ahead). There were weekly intern events, and we were included in real client meetings. I felt challenged, included, and respected throughout the summer.”

“The whole internship experience was great. The firm focused on helping us get to know our intern class as well as junior and senior bankers by giving us mentors at different levels. There were a bunch of intern events that were very thoughtful, and I felt that the work I completed during the internship was reflective of what I’ve been doing full-time.”

“Centerview provided interns with the real banking experience. I was able to get a good sense of the day-to-day of an investment banker and understand the culture of the firm. The best part of the internship was getting to work with and learn from MDs and partners, who took time out of their busy days to grab coffee with me and tell me about their experiences. The most challenging aspect of the internship was learning the norms of the organization in such a short timeframe.”

“I had outsized responsibility and exposure for an intern while working on some of the most newsworthy deals. The internship is designed to give you a real-world experience so you can decide if the career is right for you. There is no pressure to accept at the end—Centerview wants you to make the right decision for you.”

Career Development

“You learn from generational talent bankers, and founders and senior partners are still actively engaged day to day. Extremely thoughtful staffing function. The firm does a very good job of continuously developing their employees’ skills’ repertoire through classes, townhalls, and formal and informal mentorship opportunities.”

“Best aspects: Centerview University trainings/homework assignments graded personally by bankers within the firm, firmwide webinars and lunch and learns with private and public sector leaders, formal mentorship pairings as well as informal mentorship opportunities. Most challenging: Steep learning curve at the MBA Associate level.”

“The firm is very focused on career development and internal promotions (from analyst to partner). A very high level of responsibility is given to team members who are keen to develop their skillset. Given the teams are small, team members are often given the opportunity to step up and play the role of senior members on the team. However, there is a very strict promotion timeline where exceptions are not made for talented team members.”

“The bank is focused on homegrown talent, putting career development front and center every day. Formal mentorship and training programs are complemented by one-on-one sessions with senior partners covering everything from client development to delivering presentations. The firm invests very heavily around nurturing the next generation of leadership.”

Quality of Life

“People at Centerview care about maintaining a work/life balance. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my quality of life here. As long as I communicate, I can usually make important plans. Managers do a great job letting their junior teams have free time. Additionally, there are great perks to the job, and I enjoy being in the office since the people are great. The nature of the job is of course long and unpredictable hours, so it can be hard at times, but that’s central to a client-facing job, and the culture and perks offset the negatives.”

“Rather than build out specific policies, Centerview rewards bankers who genuinely care about their teams. The hours can be long, the deadlines tight, and schedules get blown up—but you know your team always has your back. And once the crisis is past, staffing and senior leadership work diligently to make sure you get a break to recover. Our people know they will be listened to and taken seriously if they need a break—from the founders on down, the firm wants to foster an environment where people can see themselves staying for a long time.”

“I think Centerview makes banking as livable as possible. There are still times where it can be difficult, but that’s the nature of the industry and most of that discomfort comes from a client, not internally. Overall, I’d say the quality of life here is quite good. Very generous dinner stipend and good food/snack options plus a gym in the office makes it easier to stay healthy.”

“You work hard, as with all positions within the industry, but you are rewarded with interesting, thought-provoking work in the most complicated situations. Centerview is on the forefront of industry-defining transactions across both M&A and restructuring. People genuinely care about your well-being and development, in and outside of the office.”

Salary and Benefits

“Industry-leading compensation package with top-tier benefits. Free breakfast and lunch in-office and generous expense policy. Cash compensation is highest across Wall Street.”

“Only unfortunate thing is no 401(k) match, but our pay is top of Street by a long shot.”

“The salary is great and very competitive in the space. The perks of having access to free food and snack throughout the day is amazing. We also have several coffee machines, energy drinks, and a barista. The company wide offsite allows people to network with colleagues from varying offices across the world. The worst aspect of the compensation package is the limited 401(k) plan.”

“The compensation is fantastic, and the perks are unbelievable (free Ubers, free lunch and dinner daily, barista for free in the office, etc.).”

Wellness Benefits

“Our upstairs cafe, which serves breakfast and lunch, always has lots of healthy offerings. And I love the gym. Additionally, everyone on my teams is focused on physical and emotional wellness as part of our workload management.”

“Strong effort on wellness being made, health insurance allows for counselling, there are internal sports teams (e.g., football team, etc.). We have had nutritionists come into the office in the past.”

“We have an in-house gym, which is very convenient. The in-house chefs always have healthy breakfasts and lunches for us. Majority of analysts, associates, etc., advocate for living as much of a healthy life that we can. We have firm-sponsored athletic teams that are enjoyed by many.”

“There could be more formal wellness programs and perks, but I feel that Centerview really values staying physically and mentally fit while on the job, and there is a culture of physical and mental wellness—lots of empathy about personal plans, staffing constantly checking in on you, very respected vacations, etc.”

Diversity and ESG Initiatives

“As a minority woman, I can say I feel very comfortable and supported at the firm. I have lots of role models, and most importantly I am able to get mentorship from other women as well as men at the firm. Beyond diversity, which is a big focus of recruiting, inclusion is a firmwide priority.”

“Strong effort made to hire and retain various underrepresented groups. At the junior level, for example, it is often the case that analyst classes have more females than males. Military veteran hiring in the U.S. office is very strong—and some very strong employees in the U.S. office have military backgrounds.”

“The firm is very progressive on diversity efforts, with significant support put behind expanding access to careers in finance, well beyond even the firm’s own interest (including several educational programs that the firm supports financially and with our time). We have a number of employee resource groups, which the firm actively encourages and supports, including a First Generation resource group that has been very active this year. Our culture is respectful and inclusive, always.”

“The firm has done a good job in pulling in affinity groups and bringing in speakers of different backgrounds for banker meetings. The firm is diverse at the junior level, and junior bankers are very welcoming and supportive of each other. But as a POC, I can say that there are more changes that need to be made in the overall firm relating to the recruiting process.”

Business Outlook

“The outlook for the firm is strong, and we seem to improve each year and stay highly competitive for our size. The best part of the business outlook is that it allows for flexibility and people to branch out and find their own practices. Employees are generally very happy and enjoy socializing with each other. There is a sense of camaraderie and cohesion within the firm.”

“Our leaders, Robert and Blair, are very invested and involved in the firm, constantly taking the time to get to know everyone at the firm. The firm’s business outlook starts from the top down. We are always very busy as a firm, and the firm’s leadership prioritizes growing the firm internally and externally.”

“Highly confident in Centerview’s ability to win. We have a suite of industry-leading senior bankers with proven abilities to lead the Street across several industries (biotech, healthcare services, consumer, special committee, etc.). Also, senior hires focused on geopolitical expertise has been highly tactical and will continue to become a larger and larger piece of the puzzle for independent advisors. There are lots of tools that Centerview is equipped with that are difficult for the competition to replicate, especially the larger players.”

“Morale is through the roof, while the rest of Wall Street struggles to find a purpose. Our business model is truly differentiated. What we do shouldn't be hard (provide clients with genuine business insights and flawless execution of deals), but it takes a very special culture to support it. And our peers just aren’t able to replicate that, so we keep winning.”