Hedge fund Citadel hired a PhD 'talent scientist' from McKinsey
As data plays an increasingly prominent role in the investment decisions of hedge funds, why shouldn't it play a role in hiring decisions as well? Ken Griffin's Citadel seems to have taken that approach by bringing in a director from McKinsey specialising in 'talent science'.
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Keith McNulty announced on LinkedIn that he is joining Citadel in London as its head of assessments. He spent the last 27 years at McKinsey, the majority of which he was a global director across different talent-related roles. As director of assessment and measurement, he developed a "consistent structured ability assessment framework across McKinsey globally" to evaluate "effectiveness and success." In his most recent role, director of talent science and analytics, he said he implemented evidence based practices for talent using "psychometrics, discrete mathematics, decision science, inferential and predictive statistics and machine learning, engineering and technology." He also has a PhD in pure mathematics from Imperial College London.
One of the teams McNulty was responsible for at McKinsey was the game-based innovations lab, which developed 'Solve', an immersive gaming experience that McKinsey used to assess candidates' problem-solving skills at the start of its interview process. Citadel doesn't appear to have a video game in its application process as of today, but has used games in its datathons, where performing well can lead to securing an internship. It wouldn't be the first to implement games; Jane Street, which operates in part like a hedge fund, uses Dungeons and Dragons-style role play simulations to help train its staff.
Citadel has been pushing to hire talent-related specialists for roles not common in hedge funds, and McNulty is only the latest example. In September, it hired Morgan Stanley alum David Stark as its chief medical officer; he was both an MD (managing director) and an MD (medical doctor, via Harvard)
Citadel seems to have done well in managing its talent thus far; Bloomberg reported this week that the firm has generated annualized lifetime net returns of 19% as of 2025. Last year, though, a few funds like Bluecrest outperformed Citadel, so it is likely eager to close ground on them going into 2026.
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