Very Specific Character's Job Title?

September 14, 2007 5:53 PM

Help me ascertain the correct job title for a character I’m writing who deals in high stakes international finance. Difficulty level: I have a limited understanding about stocks, bonds, or securities.

Hi there—now there are several plot points that can’t be changed that I must work around, so it would be a great help to find a job title/description for this character that fits the following constraints.

The character I’m writing needs to be a high-paid person in finances, the type who might get sent down to Argentina in the months immediately preceding the 2001 Corallito/2002 Bankruptcy in order to broker some sort of high-stakes financial deal involving a US firm (hers) and an Argentine company of some sort.

Here’s the most important part: she’s trying to get these Argentinean businessmen to come on board with her JP Morgan-ish company in some way (invest abroad? Partner up for some reason?) and they are all set to do so –until- the country’s fiscal crisis spirals out of control in the fall of 2001, and she loses the contract/client because of it.

Some job titles that seem to fit are Emerging Markets Bond Trader or Financial Analyst, but I’m still a bit unsure of what those jobs actually entail. So! Any ideas of what this character’s job is and what kind of financial deal is she could be responsible for in this particular situation?

Thank you for all help/ideas!

posted by np312 to Work & Money (8 answers total)

Having watched/read American Psycho, I think surely the only possible job title for your character is Vice President. She would be in the emerging markets bond department and would make calls back to the foreign arbitrage desk regularly to consult the analysts there.
posted by ikkyu2 at 6:13 PM on September 14, 2007

This was the scene I had in mind.
posted by ikkyu2 at 6:20 PM on September 14, 2007

investment banker, vp of emerging markets.
posted by bruce at 6:21 PM on September 14, 2007

Best answer: For a big deal, it'd definitely have to be a VP or Managing Director. Considering Argentina's economy, a likely scenario is either a) she works in Mergers & Acquisitions and is serving as an advisor to an Argentine energy (oil, natural gas) or mining (gold, silver, metals) company looking to buy another Latin American company in the same sector, or b) she works in Public Finance and her company is underwriting the sale of the Argentine government's energy or mining holdings to a private company.

Scenario B could be fun plot-wise because you're dealing with government officials who are eager to make the deal happen so they can line their pockets with under-the-table bribes and deal completion money.
posted by junesix at 7:06 PM on September 14, 2007

Best answer: Seconding Managing Director. VP is a little tricky as some banks toss out VP titles to many people, but MD is still a pretty solid indication of status. Director would be ok as well, but it might indicate that the person was still trying to "make a name" for themselves and that if this went bad they would have some career trouble. I'd vote for MD if she is the senior person in Argentina and D if she isn't.
posted by true at 7:31 PM on September 14, 2007

True has it: VP/AVP's are (in some circles) handed out like candy in lieu of monetary compensation, but Managing Directors get things done.
posted by Space Kitty at 8:39 PM on September 14, 2007

Yep...VPs are a dime a dozen. At a certain very large multinational insurance broker, for example (it shall remain nameless as I worked for them), one third of the staff held the position of VP.
posted by randomstriker at 10:35 PM on September 14, 2007

Can you tell us more about the nature of her role?

Does she (or her firm) have money to invest or does she want money from investors? If she's bringing the money she might be in venture capital or an "angel". If she's gathering money she's on the "sell side" somehow. Underwriting syndicate...?

Maybe she's an intermediary between people who have money to invest and people who want to invest their money? If so, she might be in private placement or the scenario above.
posted by powpow at 10:58 PM on September 14, 2007