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Morgan Stanley - Innovative Data, Environments, Analytics & Systems (IDEAS)

Wallstyouth

Wallstyouth

Vice President
Joined
5/25/07
Messages
116
Points
28
The infoweb and MS website offers little or no background on the IDEAS org I know a few members here work for MS. So my question what exactly is IDEAS? I'm considering an offer in this org but I really don't know where this org is structured in the overall firm? Friends told me its where everyone who isnt a trader but works in trading end up?

Any pros/cons quick or a quick run down would be appreciated thanks!
 
Wallstyouth said:
The infoweb and MS website offers little or no background on the IDEAS org I know a few members here work for MS. So my question what exactly is IDEAS? I'm considering an offer in this org but I really don't know where this org is structured in the overall firm? Friends told me its where everyone who isnt a trader but works in trading end up?

Any pros/cons quick or a quick run down would be appreciated thanks!
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Sounds similar to Lehman's old Fixed Income Analytics group that generated pricing, risk, and other analytics numbers. It requires a number of top-shelf financial programmers as well as quant developers and a few quants.

When firms are in a cost-focused or an internal-control mood, this group feels more like IT. When the firm is in a quality-focused mood, this group feels more like internal research. I guess you sort of get the best of both worlds since the firm doesn't actually lay you off in a recession- they just shunt you off to IT, and then you or your team have to figure out a way back into the front office during a recovery and swim against a HUGE political current where your IT executives will do everything they can to keep you under them.

It's fun when you're on the business side but sometimes INFURIATING in IT depending on your CIO. The best thing you can do is work for the right managers. Every manager in IDEAS will be smart; you'll want to find one that is also aggressive, politically shrewd, and working on a more vital pricing system that requires quantitative developers. There is a constant tug of war between the CIO, who wants every developer at the firm to report to him, and the strongest performing developers, quants, and managers who want to get (or stay) the heck out of IT. You want a gorilla of a manager who can battle the CIO and win.
 
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