Pros
- Very good tech support staff willing to share information and support business lines
- Decent trading infrastructure despite occasional reliability issues
- Excellent post trade processing
- Movement within the firm is possible only if politically connected
- Fairly focused business model (can be a pro and a con)
Kontras
- Highly political, play football with Velli and you're safe.
- Current obsession to position the firm for an IPO has led to a pattern of older, highly competent, personnel to be let go.
- They tend to follow any technology trend by about 6 months
- Zero appetite for any risk, yet believe returns should remain at high levels
- Non existent employee feedback unless you're fired.
- Reliance on a small number of large clients
- Little mobility within the firm. (Hey Joe, Of the 15 or so people (all age 45+) you've fired in the past year NONE of them had the ability to work in another area???
- No clear policy on when someone does get fired if they get to hang around in an office for a while or be out the door in 10 minutes? Again, the football thing makes all the difference.