Goldman Sachs President John Waldron, who studied English instead of finance, was initially rejected by the bank; he now explains why he is rooting for English, history and philosophy graduates when asked about GS’ hiring strategy amid the AI boom

Goldman Sachs President John Waldron has weighed in on how artificial intelligence is reshaping hiring, discussing with Blackstone’s Global Head of Corporate Affairs, Christine Anderson, whether the Wall Street giant’s recruitment strategy will change in an AI-driven world. Waldron, who was initially rejected by Goldman Sachs, said thinking, analytical problem-solving and intellectual curiosity remain key qualities the firm values in candidates.

"Thinking and analytical problem solving and intellectual curiosity. Old-fashioned elements like that are gonna be back in vogue. And, those kind of core mathematical skills are really important. And they are important, of course, but I think the blend is now gonna be really important," said Waldron.

Speaking about the firm's hiring stratedgy, Waldron said, "I'm rooting for the English majors, and the history majors, and the philosophy majors. We've always done, I think, a pretty good job hiring a lot of liberal arts kids, I would be a good example, although I didn't get hired by Goldman Sachs initially. They really are intellectually curious and they wanna learn, that's the most important thing that they're focused on and they evidence that in their background."


"We're more focused on what's the well-roundedness of your background and have you proven that you actually are on a little bit of an intellectual journey," said John Waldron.

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John Waldron's qualifications and career

According to Goldman Sachs' website, John graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Middlebury College with a BA in English in 1992.

In addition, John is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Clinic, a member of the Board of Directors of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, a member of the Board of Trustees of Middlebury College, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University.

Waldron joined the bank in 2000 and has steadily risen through the ranks. He ran the media and entertainment banking group before becoming head of leveraged finance.