Ex-Goldman Sachs analyst seeks exceptional people for atypical opportunities

If you've tried investment banking and it wasn't for you, there is an alternative. If you've tried private equity and it wasn't for you, it's not the end of the line. If you've tried hedge funds and still want stimulation, there's another option. You could choose the fintech firm whose founder tried everything and refused to compromise. 

💥Follow us on WhatsApp for news alerts.💥

Aged 31, Alexis Augier has been an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs, an analyst and associate at KKR, and an investment professional at Elliott Investment Management. Augier left Elliott in 2022 and founded Vega, a platform that provides infrastructure for private markets. Since then, hundreds of people have applied to work with him at Vega. Few have been accepted. 

"We hire for exceptional attributes, not experience," explains Augier. Successful candidates are those for whom "being good" has never been enough. They are a species who, "get restless without a challenge and need to feel passionate about everything they do." 

If this is you, you can demonstrate your passion by applying for Vega's new "product and growth program" which Augier says will turn "elite generalists into product & business builders." These generalists might come from banking, consulting or "other analytically demanding fields." They will rotate between product and growth roles until they find an area of mutual fit and passion, and will be equipped with "the tools, exposure, and ownership to build and scale products from the ground up, while being exposed to the more commercial and strategic side of the business."

It's not clear what the salary is for these roles, but the upside is described as "uncapped." This might be why the last time that Augier invited applications for generalist vacancies he received 500+ applications in two days. That's a lot considering he currently has two vacancies for the new product and business program. 

Augier's recent hires include Mattia Mancino, a former associate in UBS's investment banking team, who's now a product manager, and Sara Saloo, a former BCG consultant who's now head of strategy and growth.  

Both roles would usually require years of tenure, says Augier. “But we are not building a typical startup. We are building the kind of company where the level of ambition, excellence, and calibre of the team make it a credible career alternative to top investment firms. That is the bar we hold ourselves to.”

Have a confidential story, tip, or comment you’d like to share? Contact: +44 7537 182250 (SMS, Whatsapp or voicemail). Telegram: @SarahButcher. Signal: sarahbutcher.22  Click here to fill in our anonymous form, or email editortips@efinancialcareers.com. 

Bear with us if you leave a comment at the bottom of this article: comments are moderated intermittently by human beings. Sometimes these humans might be asleep, or away from their desks, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You must take sole responsibility for comments you post on this site. We will take reasonable steps to weed out anything that we consider to be offensive or inappropriate.