hierarchy is - management committee > partner managing director > managing director > executive director > vice president > associate > analyst

managing director is where you would be running a business, sort of like making general in the army, there are about 1700 of them. And the partners are the true senior managers and where real authority in the firm starts. Title inflation FTW.

He might have trouble eating lunch in this town without changing his name LOL. Best bet might be to write and try to be the next Michael Lewis (Liar's Poker, Moneyball, The Blind Side, contributes to Bloomberg and Vanity Fair, didn't turn out too bad for him.)

[edited Peter -> Michael]