David Snider & Dr. Chris Howard

Money Makers

Inside the New World of Finance & Business
Foreword by Robert K. Steel, Former CEO of Wachovia and Under Secretary of Domestic Finance for the U.S. Treasury

An indispensable guide to the financial landscape of the twenty-first century—from venture capital to hedge funds to management consulting. Drawing on interviews with top executives, this book reveals the histories, mechanics, and challenges of the industries that drive the modern economy.

Money Makers book cover — lightbulb with dollar bill inside
The Book

In the wake of the global financial crisis, the people, firms, and businesses driving our modern economy have changed. While elite fields of business and finance now play a dominant role in the global economy, how they work remains a mystery to most outsiders. Terms like hedge funds and private equity, once rarely discussed in mainstream media, have reached full-scale public prominence.

Money Makers reveals the selective and secretive industries of the private sector that drive the modern economy from the perspective of leaders in each field. Throughout the book, David Snider and Dr. Chris Howard rely on insights gleaned from interviews with top executives in six industries: private equity, hedge funds, management consulting, investment banking, management of Fortune 500 companies, and venture capital.

Exploring the histories, firms, people, and mechanics of modern finance, Money Makers is an accessible guide for those looking to make sense of the financial world.

Readers will discover:

  • Insight from Jamie Dimon, CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase, on his bank's growth through the financial crisis and government involvement in the banking sector
  • How entrepreneurship is linked to venture capital, and the steps taken to complete the investment process
  • The differences between private equity and venture capital, and how private equity firms decide where to invest
  • What the future holds for the hedge fund business and how the fallout of the Madoff scandal will affect the industry
  • The challenges of working in a high-growth Fortune 500 company, according to Shona Brown, SVP of Business Operations at Google
Chapters
Six industries. Dozens of top executives. One comprehensive guide to the financial landscape.
01
The Billion-Dollar Brokers and Traders of Investment Banking
How the banking industry evolved through crisis and continues to shape global markets
02
The Shepherds and Builders of Business: Venture Capital & Entrepreneurship
The symbiotic relationship between visionary founders and the investors who back them
03
The Billionaire Borrowers: Private Equity & Leveraged Buyouts
Inside the world of leveraged acquisitions and the firms that reshape industries
04
The Market Mavericks: Hedge Funds
Strategies, risks, and the personalities behind the most sophisticated investment vehicles
05
The Million-Dollar Analysis of Management Consulting
How the top firms advise the world's largest corporations on their most critical decisions
06
Big Business: The Management of Fortune 500 Companies
What it takes to lead at scale, from operational challenges to strategic vision
Praise for Money Makers
A fabulous book for understanding entrepreneurship, venture capital and the symbiotic relationship they share. Money Makers takes readers inside these fields with highly relevant, engaging examples and a clear articulation of industry dynamics.
Reed Hastings
Chairman and Cofounder of Netflix
Given the recent economic turmoil, it is more important than ever for people to learn about the dynamics of business and finance. David Snider and Chris Howard provide readers with a clear understanding of key financial industries.
Suzy Welch
New York Times bestselling author and columnist, with Jack Welch, for BusinessWeek
An excellent read on the inner workings of business and finance. I was particularly impressed by the lucid discussions of the consulting industry and the role of executives at Fortune 500 companies.
Stephen Kaufman
Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, former Chairman and CEO of Arrow Electronics, former partner at McKinsey & Company
Money Makers is a must read for anyone considering a career in finance, consulting, or management. David Snider and Chris Howard deftly describe each of these secretive professions with unparalleled detail.
Mellody Hobson
President of Ariel Investments, Director of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.; The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Starbucks Corporation
Money Makers provides very insightful views into the business world and the issues it currently faces. Its depth will contribute materially to the public understanding of finance today.
Bill George
Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School, former CEO of Medtronic, Director of Goldman Sachs
Money Makers is both a wonderful primer for individuals thinking about entering the investment business and a fine reference for someone trying to understand the financial world today.
Stephen Kay
Retired Partner at Goldman Sachs
About the Authors
David Snider

David Snider

David is the Founder & CEO of Harness, a platform to power CPA practices. Harness was recognized by Inc Magazine as one of the 200 fastest growing companies in the U.S. David incubated Harness as an executive-in-residence at Bain Capital Ventures. Previously he served as COO & CFO of Compass, a real estate tech company that he helped grow from pre-launch to a valuation of $1.8 billion. David was an investor at Bain Capital private equity, where he completed investments worth over $2 billion as well as the IPO of Sensata on the NYSE. David received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from Duke University.

Dr. Chris Howard

Dr. Chris Howard

Dr. Chris Howard is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of ASU. He is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and earned a doctorate from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He also earned an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School. Dr. Howard's military career included service as a helicopter pilot and an intelligence officer, and he was awarded a Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan. Dr. Howard was previously president of Robert Morris University, president of Hampden-Sydney College, a vice president at the University of Oklahoma, and also had a successful corporate career with GE and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Interviews

The contents of this book come from research, the authors' experiences, and the insights of industry insiders. Associates at top firms as well as industry leaders were interviewed for every chapter. The list below provides a sense of the range and depth of expertise that contributed to the text.

Alan Schwartz
Executive Chairman of Guggenheim Partners, former CEO of Bear Stearns
Ben Casnocha
Entrepreneur, founder of Comcate, BusinessWeek's top entrepreneurs under 25
Bill Meehan
Former Managing Director of McKinsey & Company
Bill Shutzer
Senior Managing Director of Evercore Partners, former MD of Lehman Brothers
Bruce Evans
Managing Director of Summit Partners
Charles Farkas
Senior Director of Bain & Company
Chris Galvin
Former CEO of Motorola
Craig Foley
Founder of Chancellor Capital Management, first institutional investor in Starbucks
David Rubenstein
Cofounder of the Carlyle Group
Jamie Dimon
CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Jamie Irick
General Manager at General Electric
Jeff Hurst
Cofounder and Managing Partner of Commonwealth Capital Ventures
JB Cherry
Managing Director of One Equity Partners
Chuck McMullan
Executive Director at UBS Investment Bank
Shona Brown
Former SVP of Business Operations at Google
Events
Book Launch at Harvard Business School
Money Makers Book Launch Party, hosted at Harvard Business School. Featuring David Snider and Dr. Christopher B. Howard.
Hampden-Sydney Alumni Lunch
The Commonwealth Club. Featuring: Dr. Christopher B. Howard.
Panel Discussion: Opportunities and Challenges Facing the Financial Sector
Hosted by Harvard Business School's Management Consulting and Finance Clubs. Moderated by David Snider. Featuring:
  • Bruce Evans, Managing Director at Summit Partners
  • Jeff Hurst, Cofounder of Commonwealth Capital Ventures
  • Steve Pagliuca, Managing Director at Bain Capital
Media Coverage
Harvard Business School
Money Makers: An Insider's Guide to the Financial World
Feature on the book's deep-dive into the industries driving the modern economy.
BusinessWeek
Understanding the New Financial Landscape
How Snider and Howard illuminate the private sector's most secretive industries.
Duke University
Alumni Spotlight: David Snider on Money Makers
Duke alumnus brings insider perspective to modern finance and business.
Ready to go inside the money makers?
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