Recruiters also say disappointing bonuses and a general feeling on gloom on Wall Street have caused some bankers to call it quits. Some recruiters say even top Wall Street bankers are feeling strapped. "Part of my theory is that these people have cashflow and liquidity problems," says John Owens, who runs CREW Advisory Services, which specializes in recruiting for Wall Street firms. "A number of bankers have recently told me I need X to cover my bills. I have never heard that before."
One example of those being elevated is Colin Fan. Fan, 39, who took over as co-head of investment banking at Deutsche, is the youngest of Wall Street's new leadership crop. Even so, Fan does come from the debt side of Wall Street. But the Canadian-born, Chinese banker, who is based in London, has spent a good deal of time working in the emerging markets as well. Before the promotion, Fan ran a division of Deutsche that generated $3.5 billion in revenue a year. A recent article in a trade publication called Fan "one of the most promising investment bankers of his generation."