Christopher Leddy

Name: Christopher Leddy
Job: Analyst, investment banking – mergers and acquisitions
Employer: HSBC Bank PLC
University: BSc management, London School of Economics (LSE) (2009)

Securing internships was instrumental in helping me get into investment banking. I did an internship at Lehman Brothers in New York and decided that I wanted to work for a European bank – I wanted to work in London. I did an internship at HSBC during the summer before my final year at university, which led to me securing a graduate job.

My job

I work on large mergers and acquisitions, typically carrying out research, contacting buyers or sellers, gauging initial interest and running auctions. Most recently we helped sell a confectionary business for Kraft to a Japanese buyer, which involved some travel to Poland. It was exciting for me to work on a project from start to finish – from marketing to signing – and experiencing the whole process. To do my job you need to be a good communicator, be comfortable with numbers, have an eye for detail, be good at problem solving and be able to think on your feet.

The people and the hours

Working with such high-calibre, dynamic colleagues is what I enjoy the most about this job. Maintaining a decent work/life balance poses the biggest challenge. My hours vary depending on the project: at the height of a project the hours may be very demanding, but this will typically be followed by a quieter period.