Bull Street Read Online Free PDF

who did a lot of talking always felt the interview went well.
    LeClaire continued, “And you know what? If you work hard and focus the intelligence you obviously have, you could be a member of this elite group.”
    Richard felt a tickle of excitement. Now he’s selling me.
    “Now let us take Walker & Company itself. We are one of the hottest firms on Wall Street today. Four years ago, streetsavvy Walker & Company amalgamated with Schoenfeld & Co. and Groupe Credit Generale. The old-school establishment English connections of Schoenfeld & Co., one of the last great English private merchant banks. The powerhouse financial clout of Groupe Credit Generale, my first employer and our French partner, the largest bank in France. The deal that Jack Grass andMickey Steinberg put together was an amazing coup. They got Walker access to Schoenfeld’s and GCG’s prestige and capital without giving them control. They got them to put up 51% of the capital for 40% of the vote. In the four years since the amalgamation, Walker has catapulted from a mid-tier firm to a top ten rising star on the Street.”
    LeClaire paused, as if to say, “What do you think of that?” Richard didn’t want to kill his momentum, just nodded.
    “Look,” LeClaire said, leaning forward like he was letting Richard in on a secret. “Sir Reginald Schoenfeld runs Schoenfeld & Co. like a personal fiefdom, handpicking his people, preserving the unique culture of the firm. GCG, despite its scale, is carved into individual profit centers run by aggressive entrepreneurs. Philippe Delecroix is on GCG’s Board of Directors, and heads two of GCG’s most entrepreneurial profit centers: the investment banking business and the merchant banking subsidiary that holds GCG’s investment in Walker. Do you know why Sir Reginald and Philippe sought out Walker?”
    A question LeClaire would obviously answer himself. Richard didn’t dare even nod this time, afraid he might stop.
    “Because they wanted Walker’s DNA. Because they know it is their unique DNA that drives their own organizations. What we are looking for, Richard Blum, is exceptional people with that same DNA.”
    “I know what you mean,” Richard said, seeing an opening for his final pitch. “I really believe I was born to this. I know I have it in me and I can make a major impact here at Walker. But I won’t come in here with the notion I’m entitled to it; I’ll work my butt off, learn the business from the bottom up. Give me a shot. I won’t let you down.”
    Now LeClaire smiled again, broadly, his face rounding out.
    Richard sensed it was coming to an end and didn’t want to screw it up at the last minute. He stayed silent.
    “You are sharp,” LeClaire said. “You are not full of sheet and you seem to know how to work hard and you definitely have the business under your skin. I like you, Richard.”
    Richard felt he’d scratched partway through the surface. LeClaire was still smiling. Close, shut up and leave. The guy just said he liked you.
    “I like you too, François,” Richard said. He felt relieved when LeClaire looked at his watch again.
    “Well, I need to get ready for my call. I will get back to you. It will be tough, but I will see what I can do.”
    Richard got another toothy smile in the lobby as LeClaire escorted him to the elevator. Richard left with the feeling he’d passed the initial grilling, then connected. He felt a rush of relief, then a spasm of tension in his guts. It ended well; but well enough to be finally breaking in?

    Richard got his callback to New York for a day of second-round interviews a week after he first met with LeClaire, and then didn’t hear anything until mid-April. When he did, LeClaire’s voice sounded ominous on the voicemail message. Richard’s heart was thumping as he called him back, sitting on one of the benches outside Sam Wyly Hall.
    “Hello, my friend,” LeClaire said, “we are hoping you will join us as a member of Walker & Company. Tell