Top MBA Recruiters: Invesco
Founded in Atlanta in 1978, investment management firm Invesco has become a global leader in the field, with offices in 25 countries and over $11 billion in managed funds for its clients.
The firm, as of a July 2019, features around 8,000 employees. U.S. offices, in addition to the Atlanta headquarters, include Chicago, Dallas, Austin, Newport Beach, CA, Los Altos CA, Portland OR, Boston, and New York City.
MBAs with various levels of career experience contribute to the large talent pool from which Invesco hires. Here, we’ll break down the firm’s recruitment and hiring process, salary, and an overview of company culture.
Landing an Invesco Career
Invesco, like most global asset management firms of its size, has an in-house recruitment team that seeks graduate level students throughout the year. With an Early Career program for those just starting after their MBA studies, Invesco prides itself on grooming ‘future asset management leaders.’ Analyst roles are the most prevalent for recently graduated hires, and MBAs who possess previous work experience are obviously considered for commensurate positions.
An early career Properties Analyst in the Atlanta office says:
“What I like most about working at Invesco is the opportunities I’ve been given in my job. I’m a recent grad; at other companies I was just there and didn’t have a ton to do. Once I started my job at Invesco, I’ve had challenging assignments and so many interesting projects to work on – it’s really helped develop my skills and prepared me for my next role.”
The company’s website offers a talent network which enables applicants to obtain optimal job matches for their backgrounds. It prides itself upon honoring their applicants’ individual areas of expertise; each new hire is asked questions regarding the division in which they believe they would function best. MBAs are sought in all divisions, but a large number are hired in Finance & Accounting, Quantitative Analytics, Investment Services & Operations, Marketing & Product Management, and Sales.
Paysa reports that the most valued skills as Invesco are related to investments, with 39 percent of hires possessing this type of background. This is followed by experience in mutual funds (29 percent of hires); general management (29 percent), and asset management (27 percent).
As for interviews, Glassdoor data shows that 66 percent surveyed reported a positive experience. Around 39 percent of those who interviewed applied online, 19 percent were interviewed via referral, and 28 percent were recruited either on a campus or from another employer.
Invesco Career Compensation
New York City Invesco employees typically see the highest annual salaries ($132,000), according to Paysa. Boston follows in second ($129,000), then San Francisco ($126,000), Atlanta ($116,000), and Dallas-Fort Worth ($105,000). The overall base salary average at Invesco is $102,661. This includes a base salary of $70,000 in the 25th percentile and $125,000 in the 25th percentile.
Accountants in various departments start out closer to the lower percentile. Fund accountants, along with those that manage corporate accounts, make an average of $54,000 and a range of $48,000-68,000. Senior accountants bump up to a range of $62,000-73,000. Analysts working in equities average $95,000 on average, while financial reporting analysts bring in an average of $80,000. Portfolio administrators typically earn around $60,000.
Averages for management roles at Invesco include the following:
- Director – $109,000
- Program Manager – $119,000
- Project Lead – $108,000.
As for marketing roles, business analysts make $107,000 on average, Senior Business Analysts earn $116,000, and Marketing Managers earn $73,000, on average.
Invesco is in the top 300 highest paid finance companies according to Paysa, at 280th.
Life at Invesco
A July 2019 Indeed review on Invesco states, “Depending on the department, Invesco is a great company to work for. Some areas allow employees to work remote a few days a week and Friday’s and Monday’s are generally casual dress days. The work life balance is good in most departments and the benefits are okay. The health plan is way too expensive but it covers a lot. Most employees throughout the company are driven, intelligent and work hard because they really take pride in what they do and in the company as a whole.”
Another employee reports “great benefits and development opportunities,” and a veteran employee noted, “I worked at Invesco for 18 years so there were a lot of changes … Early morning and close of day were very busy. I had an excellent supervisor who was very supportive and made work a lot easier. Best company I ever worked for.”
Employees at the Atlanta Invesco headquarters, seen here, typically earn more than $100,000 annually.
The company boasts a “diverse and inclusive culture,” though it is reported to be made up of a 52 percent white, male identifying workforce. About 31 percent of employees are female identifying, while 20 percent did not disclose gender. Around 36 percent did not disclose ethnicity, but those who did were 7 percent Asian, 4 percent LatinX, and 1 percent African descent.
Invesco makes an effort to involve employees in charitable organizations, with volunteer events and giving opportunities. The company also prides itself on responsible investment, as stated in its 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. The company offers competitive health coverage, parental leave, compensation for education and certifications, retirement planning and income protection. Like many of its peers, Invesco also offers compensation for gym memberships and wellness programs.
Top 5 Paying MBA Careers: Finance
Finance, no surprise, is an extremely popular field among MBA graduates. According to Payscale, finance is 4.7 times more popular among MBA graduates than other fields. The reasons for this are rather uncomplicated: its pretty lucrative.
The starting median salary for those with up to five years of experience is $62,100. After ten years, the reported median salary jumps to $120,000; a 93 percent increase. Given that it is finance, the bonuses that employees can earn are massive, making the field even more lucrative.
With such high salaries and the prospect of massive bonuses, those interested in finance might be curious about what the best positions are for them. These can vary by company, experience, and location.
Companies Recruiting Finance MBA Graduates
The firm you work for can affect how much you make. Larger firms tend to offer more than smaller houses. The following are the top five employers in terms of average salary for those with an MBA in finance.
Morgan Stanley: $136,500
Deloitte: $132,656
Microsoft: $123,684
Amazon: $123,678
Citigroup: $121,346
Finance MBA Experience
As one might expect, the more experience one has in a field, the higher their salary will be. According to Payscale, this is a breakdown of average salary based on years of experience.
- Up to 11 Months: $58,517
- 1–4 Years: $65,589
- 5–9 Years: $86,086
- 10–19 Years: $113,775
- 20+ Years: $135,016
Finance MBA Location
Along with company size and experience, location is the other major determinant of salary for finance MBA graduates. Given the fact that finance tends to be centralized in major cities, it is reasonable to assume that the largest salaries are to be found in cities with large, well-populated metropolitan areas. The following are the five cities where MBA graduates can earn the most.
- New York, NY: $120,962
- Los Angeles, CA: $111,727
- Boston, MA: $109,490
- Chicago, IL: $108,421
- Houston, TX: $101,643
For finance savvy MBA graduates, New York City offers the best average salary opportunities in the United States.
Top Paying Finance Careers
While there are many careers from which a finance MBA can choose, the following offer the highest salaries. To maximize a potential salary, one should consider the variables mentioned above when searching for a position.
#1: Vice President, Finance ($135,000–$195,000)
As a vice president of finance, your primary responsibility will be to direct finances and coordinate the budget. The VP of finance also sets goals and oversees lower-level employees in the financial department. Other responsibilities include engaging in accounting, operations, and finance management.
Common tasks include the following:
- Ensuring company financial plans are carried out
- Coordinating, preparing, and reviewing annual reports
- Directing accounting operations
The average salary of a VP of finance is $134,919. In addition, MBA graduates can earn an average of $24,430 in bonuses, $24,566 in commission, and $8,757 in profit sharing. The salary on this job can raise these numbers higher depending on where one works. Look for these positions in the following cities, where you can earn more than the average:
- San Francisco, CA: 28 percent more
- Los Angeles, CA: 16 percent more
- Boston, MA: 15 percent more
#2: Finance Director ($110,000–$160,000)
Finance directors are responsible for managing the goings on in the finance department of the company. In addition, effective finance directors can see problems and risks and design necessary solutions as needed.
Common tasks include the following:
- Overseeing the preparation of regulatory and financial reporting as required
- Developing policies and procedures to control and report financials
- Managing budget, forecast, and accounting preparations
The average salary of a finance director is $111,384. MBA graduates can expect to earn an average bonus of $18,556, $33,000 in commission, and $5,113 in profit sharing. According to Payscale, the following are three highest paying companies for this position:
- Nike: $150,000
- Lilly: $130,000
- CBRE Group: $128,000
#3: Investment Banker ($99,000–$207,000)
As an investment banker, your primary responsibility is to grow wealth for your clients. This can be through either strategic investing or raising capital. Investment bankers look through all of the financial information of a company to develop the best strategy for addressing its concerns and reaching its goals.
Common tasks include the following:
- Constructing financial models to aid in transactions and communications
- Performing valuation analyses
- Conducting industry and company research
On average, you can expect to earn an average of $98,831 in salary. Investment banking is rather lucrative, so it is not impossible to double your salary in commission alone. However, because if this, the salary scale can widely vary. The average commission for this position on Payscale is $90,000. To make that possible, you’ll need to go to a city where capital generation is needed. These three places pay more than the average, according to Payscale:
- San Francisco, CA: 52 percent higher
- New York, NY: 12 percent higher
- Dallas, TX: 5 percent higher
Investment bankers would do well to look into a career in the Bay Area. San Francisco-metro investment bankers make nearly 50 percent more than the national average, according to Payscale data.
#4: Finance Manager ($90,000–$124,000)
Finance managers are expected to watch departmental budgets. Their primary responsibilities include making financial forecasts for their company, working with other departments to establish future budgets, and keeping excellent track of the money going in and out of the company.
Common tasks for people in this position include the following:
- Identifying areas for cost reduction
- Providing analyses to the operations team
- Preparing informational analyses
Given the importance of this position, MBA graduates who pursue it will be compensated well. The average salary for a finance manager is $89,636. In addition to the base salary, an MBA graduate can expect an average of $9,959 in bonuses, $25,006 in commission, and $3,982 in profit sharing.
Because this position is so important, companies are willing to pay excellent candidates well. The following offer the three highest average salaries according to Payscale:
- Boeing: $119,000
- Amazon: $112,000
- Johnson & Johnson: $111,000
#5: Portfolio Manager ($84,000–$140,000)
Portfolio managers are responsible for investing their clients’ money, whether those clients are businesses or individuals. They work to get the highest return possible for their clients’ money.
Common tasks for this position include the following:
- Consulting with clients to develop investment goals
- Reporting on investment performance
- Managing portfolios to maximize returns
Portfolio managers earn an average of $84,443, with $10,274 in bonuses, $10,113 in commission, and $4,000 in profit sharing. According to Payscale, these positions tend to be centered in financial institutions and investment firms.
The following three banks offer the highest average salaries to their portfolio managers.
- Blackrock: $115,000
- S. Bank: $99,000
- Citizens Financial Group: $97,000
New Jobs at the Biggest Players in Telecom
Telecommunications firms help keep people connected. Did you know that 781 billion text messages are sent every month in the United States? That means that, on average, Americans send and receive about 94 text messages per day. More importantly, did you know that an estimated 240 million calls are made to 9-1-1 in the U.S. each year? In many areas, 80 percent of these calls are from mobile devices. These numbers put into perspective the importance of telecommunications, and the need for continued innovation in those fields. Continue reading…
Real Humans of the SMU Cox School of Business
After 100 years, one can expect a few changes.
The Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business, nearing it’s centennial celebration, is a perfect test-case for how much change can mean. Founded in 1920 as the Department of Commerce, the Dallas metro business school has gently evolved from a modern Methodist research beacon into one of the most transformative schools in Texas.
With over 11,000 students at SMU, including 5,170 graduate students, the Cox School of Business hosts nearly 600 MBAs in its various programs. For any Cox student, one of the definitive advantages of the business school is the advantageous proximity to Dallas’ thriving business community. Ten companies in the metro land within the Fortune 500 ranking. Among the group, four companies—Exxon Mobil, AT&T, Energy Transfer Equity, and American Airlines Group—land in the top 100, with two in the top ten. With high national regard, including a top 50 ranking for the school in U.S. News & World Report, plus the bevy of major companies as neighbors, these factors can seem overwhelmingly beneficial to a successful career.
When talking with members of the SMU Cox School of Business Professional MBA class, however, the allure of the program went beyond the obvious career benefits that Dallas can offer. For any well-regarded business school, the makeup of the class can seem familiar. The average GMAT for the PMBA Class of 2019 is 613. The GPA is 3.3. Most of the group has about five years of prior professional experience before enrollment. But just going off the bare statistics hardly tells the entire story.
To get a greater understanding of the SMU Cox School of Business Professional MBA class, we spoke with several current students, including a self-described “Army Brat,” a former law school student, and a consultant originally from Kathmandu, along with a handful of other future grads. Read on to see their stories and what the future may hold for life after an MBA.
What is Dell Looking for When it Comes to MBA Talent?
When considering jobs and internships, MBAs may reflect on the diverse set of skills and experience they’ve acquired. And few industries are witnessing a greater reflection of those diverse skills than tech.
Dell Technologies is one organization that has demonstrated a major commitment to hiring MBAs for their fresh knowledge and ideas, as evident in its 2020 ‘Legacy of Good’ Plan.
Are Business School Neighborhoods Becoming More Gentrified?
When universities are found in downtown urban areas, gentrification most often follows. It almost seems inevitable since universities bring in more individuals with higher education, draw in more money, and increase new businesses. But what does the rapid increase of gentrification statistics mean for the business school students looking to start their career in a new area?
What Is Gentrification?
First, we need to look at what gentrification is. In simple terms, it’s the influx of more affluent residents moving into urbanized neighborhoods. At the outset, it may sound good, but it can be controversial.
Gentrification may improve the financial quality of a neighborhood, but it can also force the relocation of current residents and businesses due to increasing costs. Often, the process of gentrification also shifts a neighborhood’s racial and ethnic composition, as well as the average household income. This can lead to community displacement for lower-income families in gentrified areas, some of which often live in the area for several generations.
However, there is a grey area. Gentrification happens when a location becomes increasingly attractive. At that point, more high-income individuals move into the area bringing in investments in the community and leading to improved infrastructure and economic development.
What Causes Gentrification?
According to a recent comprehensive review of gentrification completed by researchers at UC Berkeley and UCLA, gentrification most often occurs when more public transportation is available. People are more attracted to transit hubs because they allow more privileged groups to trade car commutes for transit and signal a large-scale commitment to neighborhood upgrading, which, in turn, leads to increased employment opportunities.
Another spur to gentrification is education. Quality schools, universities, colleges, and medical centers tend to shape gentrification. The substantial federal support that public universities receive brings money into neighborhoods through many means including housing and housing subsidies for faculty and staff. A CityLab study revealed that universities and other academic institutions are key to attracting the creative class, creating more market demand and political pressure for better amenities, schools, and other services.
Analyzing University Neighborhood Gentrification Statistics
Since universities have such an impact on gentrification, we thought we’d take a look at what areas and schools have been most affected. While gentrification is not something most urban areas should aspire for, it happens, and it’s important to know where it’s occurring the most.
To find out, we looked at a recent study by RentCafe of the most gentrified areas in the U.S. The study took a look at the 2000 Census and the 2016 American Community Survey to see the changes that took place over a decade and a half across 1,000 U.S. ZIP codes. The study found that there are easy ways to quantify gentrification statistics when looking at median home value, median household income, and the population that holds a bachelor’s or higher degree.
Based on the results of the study, we analyzed the top five MetroMBA universities in gentrified areas.
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University of Southern California
Located less than five miles away from ZIP code 90014 in Los Angeles, USC Marshall is just on the edge of the most gentrified area in the U.S. Over the last 16 years, this area has witnessed:
- A 707 percent increase in home values
- A 95 percent increase in median household income
- And an 857 percent increase in people holding bachelors or higher degrees
So, while some at USC might be fighting gentrification, it may not be working. Just last year, USC opened up a brand-new $700 million USC Village with a Target Express, Trader Joe’s, and 15 restaurants, transforming the surrounding neighborhood. And even though as part of the development USC provided $20 million for construction of off-site subsidized housing, there are still concerns.
“Across the street, land values are going to increase,” Joe Donlin, Associate Director of Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, told KPCC. “We know the landlords are going to rent at higher levels of rent.”
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Howard University
Located in Washington, D.C. Zip Code 20001, Howard University’s campus is located directly in the second most gentrified area in the U.S. Over 16 years, the area has witnessed:
- A 207 percent increase in home values
- A 163 percent increase in median household income
- And a 212 percent increase in people holding bachelors or higher degrees
The gentrification statistics of the Howard University area hasn’t gone unnoticed. According to NPR, there has been a drastic change:
“The area, located just a couple of miles north of Capitol Hill, was once working-class and black. But as hundreds of new residents move to D.C. each month, more non-black residents move into Howard’s neighborhood. And as property values rise, the university is trying to capitalize on the hot real estate market.”
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University of Houston — Downtown
Located just steps away from zip code 77003, The University of Houston campus is located near the third most gentrified area in the U.S. In the last decade and a half, the area has seen:
- A 284 percent increase in home values
- A 71 percent increase in median household income
- And a 443 percent increase in people holding bachelors or higher degrees
Much of the gentrification can be laid at the university’s feet as its student housing footprint has expanded into surrounding neighborhoods over the last decades. According to the Houston Chronicle, “In the portion of the neighborhood closest to downtown, which includes Emancipation Park, median home values increased 176 percent between 2000 and 2013, according to an analysis of census estimates conducted by Governing.”
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University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School at UPenn is less than five miles outside the fourth most gentrified neighborhood in the country: zip code 19123. This area, over the last 16 years, has noticed:
- A 203 percent increase in home values
- A 95 percent increase in median household income
- And a 230 percent increase in people holding bachelors or higher degrees.
In fact, UPenn has had a complicated history with gentrification over the years, dubbed Penntrification by some. The problem, according to The Daily Pennsylvania, is that in West Philadelphia Penn students’ demand for housing is displacing low-income families. There have even been protests criticizing the university for causing gentrification in the area.
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Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX, contains the sixth most gentrified area in the U.S.; just two miles away from Texas Christian University (TCU). Over 16 years, the area has witnessed:
- A 323 percent increase in home values
- A 103 percent increase in median household income
- And a 122 percent increase in people holding bachelors or higher degrees
While Fort Worth’s growth has brought new life to the city’s urban core, it’s also sky-rocketed property values. In particular, the areas around TCU are growing quickly. The university recently completed a $100 million renovation for its football stadium—just five years after its last overhaul, which reportedly cost $164 million.
