An ex-investment banker’s unredacted account of what really is going on at Deutsche Bank
Wall Street— two words that conjure up equal parts resentment and confusion. Much of this reaction is perpetuated by the glut of memoirs by traders, slick Gordon Gekko-wannabes who take themselves more seriously than they take their jobs. These stories about hedonistic pursuits and the dizzying temptations of jobs that inevitably bring about a downfall are yesterday’s news. Bill Keenan’s Discussion Materials (Post Hill Press/ March 2020/ Hardcover/ ISBN: 978-1642934083/ $25.00) sheds new light on Wall Street, one without the glitz and hype that insiders want you to believe.
Instead of a tale of money-hungry caricatures who corrupt susceptible newbies or a contrived tale of redemption, Discussion Materials answers crucial and universal questions such as: how to survive your first job; how to reinvent yourself in your 20s; what the right reasons are to join an investment bank; and most importantly, how to place a $25.00 order on Seamless—the perfect order.
After graduating from Columbia Business School and having his first book, Odd Man Rush, turned into a feature film, ex-pro hockey player Bill Keenan joined Deutsche Bank’s corporate finance division as an associate. There, he discovered a world where despotic superiors (and the blinking red light of his BlackBerry) instilled low-level terror on an hourly basis. Discussion Materials provides an unflinchingly honest look at what happens on Wall Street from someone who has been in the trenches. Keenan recounts the details and responsibilities of his job—from ensuring his floating bar charts are the correct shade of orange, to couriering pitchbooks to JFK airport at 4:00 a.m.
Leaning heavily on his fellow bankers and countless outsourcing systems, Keenan slowly develops proficiency at his job, eventually gaining traction and respect over a two-year span before ultimately cementing his legacy with an infamous viral resignation letter that was published by Dealbreaker. Now the COO of Graydon Carter’s Air Mail, Keenan looks back on his time as a newly-minted MBA and provides a definitive answer to the question—what exactly is investment banking?