Alvarez & Marsal I’m a new Director in PwC FDD and have an incoming offer from A&M as a director in their FDD practice. Looking for input on the decision. A&M Pros: Total Comp (2x PwC - $450k on Avg.), Talent, Growth Potential A&M Cons: Remote flexibility, technology, firm prestige, 95% PE deals (tough clients), workload (juggle 3+ projects simultaneously), additional step in hierarchy (Director, then Senior Director, before MD (partner equivalent))
PwC EY KPMG Deloitte Alvarez & Marsal
Rising Star
Take the money.. tomorrow or next year isn’t guaranteed. Also, you can always come back to B4. You’ve made a name for yourself. The world is yours man. Take the money and if you don’t like it there, you have $450k in previous salary history to leverage for your next opportunity.
Lastly, prestige is nothing internally and externally within the service lines. It’s all about the job you can deliver. If A&M has grown 3x in this space like they’ve mentioned, it’s promising for your future.
Even if you wanted to go back to PwC (and highly highly doubt you would) they’d take you back in a heartbeat. If you’re that good, you’d be missing out on a lot by not joining.
Easy. You stay at PWC and I’ll take the referral to A&M 💁🏻♀️
😇
Imagine thinking for a split second about doubling your salary lol
Unless you know you’re on the fast track to partner at PwC, I’d take the $450K at A&M. Not only is it 2x more, but as a director at PwC you’re basically capped out until partner (which is nowhere near guaranteed) whereas A&M will promote you to senior director with even more $$$ before you have to hit the partner hurdle. I’m also pretty sure that if you do make partner, A&M partners make more than Big 4.
It sounds like your other major concern is WLB but from all the people I know at A&M WLB is the same or even a little better than Big 4. I’m not really sure why some people on here are always implying that A&M is cutthroat or works you like crazy - a ton of colleagues have gone to work there and no one I know has had that experience
I don’t have the numbers for you other than to say I’m quite confident it was well over a million, probably over 1.5M. Since MD comp here is effectively margin driven, while its true a cooler deal market will result in less volume of work, it’s also unlikely that many MDs would be added if it cooled to the point where a significant drop in comp would occur. Point being, MDs have the ability to protect their upside here fairly well (no up or out) and their downside is protected by relatively low base for SDs and below (I.e. if they sell less work, they take the hit on volume but their margin is still protected). Net result is cooler market = less money, but it’s not perfectly linear.
Making twice is huge.
For $450k you can buy an apartment in the building next to A&M. Problem solved.
Rising Star
Look how we rally together for the benefit of a stranger. So cute 🥰
If you’re okay with the WLB I’d go for it - who cares about prestige if you’re making twice as much
The PE work is no different than the PE work at B4 (other than size of deals)
Do you like PWC? Do you have a future there?
2x isn’t enough to hate life every single day. Not exactly a cuddly culture at Alvarez, as I recall, and if you don’t fit quick, you’re whacked quick.
You have a sense of what a Director at PWC is and needs to be successful. You have no idea about A&M. And if you think it’s all the same, that’s a huge red flag.
You think talent and growth potential are higher at A&M? Why
I am just shock to see a Partner on Fishbowl. Appreciate seeing leadership trying to see/hear what the staffs say. Hopefully to hear from you more in the future :)
Rising Star
RUN FORREST RUN 🏃♂️
I recently made the switch. DM me if you have any questions, I’d be happy to chat. I think it depends how much longer you plan to stay in FDD and what type of job you would want to exit to if you do leave. For your cons other than remote flexibility and prestige I think the other items are the same as PwC (unless with technology you mean digital labs 🤣)
Yes go for it
Double pay, twice the fun, twice the gone.
What is the average tc for Director?
EY4 - for TAG it was $450k last year
This is tough. What is your gut telling you should pick?
The WLB is same as big4 so that shouldn’t factor in. It’s either stay in this industry or don’t. No brainer to come to A&M.
Come to A&M, I want to learn from you.
Would anyone have an insight to the salary expectation for manage services director at pwc?
I would take it, good luck you got this!😊
What's your salary as director in PWC