Frequent strategic pivots: The firm seems to change direction every few months, often chasing buzzwords or internal mandates rather than executing on a coherent long-term plan.
Lack of clarity and consistency in leadership: It’s often unclear what the firm’s true priorities are, and that ambiguity trickles down into teams, undermining focus and motivation.
Excessive internal politics at senior levels: Advancement often depends more on managing optics and internal alliances than on delivering results. Directors and MDs spend significant time on positioning rather than substance.
Compensation below market: Total comp—especially for high performers in competitive areas like private markets—lags well behind comparable roles at peer firms.
Need for greater inclusion: While the culture is friendly on the surface, there's still work to be done in making the firm more inclusive and equitable for underrepresented groups, particularly Arabs/Muslims and women. Representation at senior levels remains limited, the war in the Middle East revealed a strong bias against Arabs/Muslims, and inclusion efforts often feel surface-level or reactive (e.g., donations were collected only for pro-Israel organizations through 2023-24, common gas-lighting comments by MDs towards hijabi employees).
