Goldman Sachs names 280 managing directors as of January 1 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) named 280 new managing directors on Wednesday, a 5 percent increase from the previous year. Goldman's new managing directors will be promoted as of January 1, according to a press release on the company's website. The title is one step away from the vaunted position of partner at the Wall Street bank. The biggest group comes from trading, with 94 managing directors, followed by operations, technology, legal and finance staff, with 74; investment banking, with 51; investment management, with 39; research, with 14; and merchant banking, with eight. More than half are in the Americas, and 20 percent are women. Reporting by Lauren Tara LaCapra; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn