Structuring and sustaining excellence in management science at Merrill Lynch

The Management Science Group at Merrill Lynch Private Client has had a huge monetary impact at Merrill Lynch and has influenced executive strategies, tactics, and policies. It has also been recognized internationally with several coveted professional awards. This paper examines the underlying structural aspects that led to such excellence and business impact. Behind these successes lies a thoughtful approach that is keenly focused on following a set of core values, viewing and treating people with respect, and practicing disciplined and structured processes. Of these, we value the people as the most important dimension; therefore, we give our analysts the time and freedom to self–actualize—to excel in their own way. We promote such excellence at the individual level and encourage it to spill over to the business side with huge business successes and impact. We show the ‘how–to’—how we can structure for excellence and sustain it.