Then and Now: Derek
During the summer of 2015, we profiled interns from around the world in a blog series called My Summer at Goldman Sachs where they chronicled their individual experiences at the firm. As our new intern class is about to start their summer experience, we wanted to check in with our former interns from three years ago to get some of their reflections and updates on what they are doing now.
Let’s catch up with Derek, an analyst in the Investment Banking Division to see what he is up to now.
Internship: Consumer, Retail & Healthcare Group within the Investment Banking Division in New York City
Current Role: Consumer Retail Group within the Investment Banking Division in New York City – transitioning to London Office within the Consumer, Retail & Healthcare Group.
Path since the internship and blog series:
My experience as an intern truly set me up for success in my current role. I had the opportunity to work on real projects and transactions in the same team-based, collegial environment that I see now. It’s easy to see that the tasks I had then set the foundation for the larger, more intense responsibilities I have now, and the relationships that I built still carry their weight and importance to this day.
Things have changed over the past few years, in a variety of ways. The Consumer, Retail & Healthcare group became two groups, and I have been advising Consumer Retail clients solely throughout my second year. Even with the changes, the culture has remained intact, and we have actually had the chance to grow closer as a cohort. Rounding out my second year, I feel much more comfortable with the work I am doing and how it all translates to the bigger picture. I now have the ability to display more leadership each day with my increased responsibilities, and also the chance to act on my thoughts and opinions. In August, I will be moving to London for my first associate year and will be covering Consumer Retail and Healthcare clients (again!) across Europe. I am very excited for the opportunity ahead and the growth that is to come.
Question from a 2018 Summer Analyst: What is the moment you realized you love what you do at Goldman Sachs?
One evening, while I was traveling on the West Coast for a sell side process I was on, we had the chance to sit down with the client without one of the buyers present. During the dinner, the client expressed an extreme amount of gratitude for all of the help and support that we had provided, and shared with us that they couldn’t have picked a better partner to help them make one of the biggest decisions of their lives. Knowing that we can have that type of impact being Goldman Sachs keeps me going every day.
Read Derek’s original My Summer at Goldman Sachs blog post and check in for more posts from the Intern Then and Now series throughout the summer.