An Evening for Aspiring Leaders in New York

Some events are about content. Some are about connection. And occasionally, the right setting brings both together effortlessly.

Last week in New York, the Investment Banking Leaders Club hosted an ‘Aspiring Leaders Evening’ at the Parlour Room, bringing together Investment Banking Vice Presidents and Directors, a group navigating one of the most demanding and defining transitions in the industry.

The goal was simple:

“To create space for peers to connect, reflect, and learn. Away from inboxes, deal pressure, and performance optics.”

The rare and exceptional whisky was just a bonus.

Why the VP/Director Years Matter So Much

There’s a reason these roles feel different. At the VP and Director level, you’re no longer just executing, you’re leading. You’re managing up and down. You’re carrying client responsibility. You’re thinking about sponsorship, trajectory, and long-term credibility.

Yet it’s also one of the most isolating stages of an investment banking career.

You’re senior enough to carry pressure, but often without a true peer forum to discuss it openly.

That’s where the IB Leaders Club Community comes in.

We deliberately engineer peer groups so aspiring leaders don’t have to navigate this phase alone, making the role not just survivable, but sharable.

The Setting: Parlour Room, NYC

The private Study at the Parlour Room provided the perfect backdrop. Intimate. Elegant. Understated. A space that encourages confidential conversation, not performance.

It set the tone for an evening focused on authentic connection, not titles or hierarchy.

A Whisky Experience to Remember

The evening was hosted by the Investment Banking Leaders Club, with whisky expertly curated and led by Tom Smith, Head of the New York Chapter of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS).

Tom guided the group through a tasting that balanced education with storytelling culminating in a moment few will forget:

A single malt whisky distilled in 1976.

A whisky older than many in the room. Complex. Patient. Layered. A reminder that the best things in whisky and in leadership take time.

It wasn’t just a tasting. It was an experience.

What the Guests Said:

The feedback from attendees captured exactly what the evening set out to achieve:

“Excellent networking in a fun setting with an educational component. Great connecting with peers across the street and building whisky knowledge!”
— Director, UBS

“Really enjoyable evening full of networking and socialising with other bankers from different groups. — Grady Erickson, VP, Ernst & Young

“Loved it. It was nice meeting peers, and it felt like a unique experience. Great scotch”
— Edoardo Del Vecchio, VP, BofA

Different voices. Same theme: peer connection, perspective, and something memorable.

More Than and Event

This wasn’t just a whisky evening. It was a reflection of what the IB Leaders Club Community stands for:

• Creating trusted peer networks

• Supporting leaders at pivotal career stages

• Making demanding roles feel less isolating

• And doing it in a way that feels thoughtful, human, and elevated

Because leadership isn’t built in isolation and growth rarely happens without community.

Closing Thought

The VP and Director years shape the rest of a banking career.

Who do you learn from? Who you lean on. Who challenges your thinking?

Sometimes, all it takes is the right room, the right people and yes, occasionally, a remarkable whisky to remind you that you’re not navigating it alone.

We look forward to welcoming more aspiring leaders to future IB Leaders Club gatherings, with the next one in London early 2026.