FinPod: Careers in Finance - Careers in Finance | Charlie Schilling

In this episode of Careers in Finance with CFI, we're joined by Charlie Schilling, the CEO of Macabacus. Charlie's career journey is a masterclass in navigating diverse industries, spanning investment banking, management consulting, and senior leadership roles at major companies like Bloomberg and General Assembly. Join us as we unpack Charlie's remarkable path and get his unfiltered insights on: 🔹 Pivoting into Finance: The story of how a liberal arts major from Georgetown launched a career on Wall Street. 🔹 The Investment Banking Foundation: How his early years in banking built a foundation of both technical and invaluable soft skills. 🔹 Advisory vs. Operator: The crucial differences between advising a company from the outside and leading one from within. 🔹 Building Leadership: How to transition from an individual contributor to a C-suite leader, and the lessons learned along the way. 🔹 A CEO's Perspective: Charlie's leadership philosophy and his advice for aspiring leaders on navigating career pivots and managing change. Whether you're starting your career or considering your next big move, Charlie's story offers powerful lessons on continuous learning, risk-taking, and the keys to long-term professional growth. Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction to Charlie Schilling 1:09 - The transition from liberal arts to finance 2:28 - First years in investment banking 6:32 - Key takeaways from investment banking 11:07 - Why pursue an MBA after banking 13:06 - The thought process for picking a business school 15:20 - The jump to management consulting at BCG 17:28 - Investment banking vs. management consulting 21:12 - Transitioning to Bloomberg 23:15 - When leadership skills started to develop 26:18 - From Bloomberg to Macabacus 34:30 - Leadership philosophy and approach 37:03 - Advice for aspiring CEOs 39:05 - Rapid-fire questions 41:08 - A big mistake that taught a lot 42:56 - Advice for a younger self #CareersInFinance #CFI #Macabacus #CharlieSchilling #CEO #InvestmentBanking #ManagementConsulting #CareerPath #FinanceCareer #Leadership #MBA #ProfessionalDevelopment #CorporateFinance #CareerAdvice #CareerPivot #WallStreet #Bloomberg #BCG