This collaboration aims to streamline operations, mitigate risks, and simplify workflows for shared clients in the financial services industry. 

“Our partnership with Aladdin represents a pivotal evolution for Saphyre, building on our already extensive network of top-tier investment managers and financial institutions,” said Ray Shivers, COO of Saphyre. “By seamlessly integrating our AI-powered onboarding and data management solutions with the Aladdin platform, we are not only addressing critical operational challenges but also enhancing the experience for our clients at scale.” 

Saphyre noted that financial institutions frequently grapple with challenges such as fragmented systems, labour-intensive processes, and regulatory hurdles during pre-trade onboarding and account maintenance.  

This tie-up, linking AI-driven onboarding and data management solutions with the Aladdin platform, aims to provide an efficient solution to these issues. 

Shivers added: “This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to setting new industry standards in operational excellence by driving efficiency, and reducing risk and regulatory compliance for our clients.” 

The integration introduces end-to-end automation for investment managers, addressing operational challenges and adapting to evolving industry requirements in the financial services sector. 

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A BlackRock spokesperson confirmed his departure. His next role is unconfirmed. The TRADE understands it is outside of trading.

Mayston has been with BlackRock for almost two decades, originally joining in 2006 as a quantitative alpha and execution researcher.

He took on the role of global head of trading research in 2013 before assuming his most recent and current role as electronic trading and market structure head for EMEA in 2016.

His responsibilities will be transferred to other members of the global trading team at BlackRock, The TRADE understands.

The institution also reshuffled its equity trading leadership earlier this year. As revealed by The TRADE in April, BlackRock appointed Nick Craze as head of the EMEA equity trading desk following the promotion of Paul Battams to head of international equity trading.

Craze had been on the desk for more than 15 years and prior to this promotion oversaw the ‘model and derivatives group’ on the BlackRock EMEA equity desk since 2016.

That team was responsible for trading European equity derivatives, as well as all of BlackRock’s European equity index, transitions and quantitative active strategies.

The post BlackRock’s electronic trading head Daniel Mayston departs appeared first on The TRADE.

Rich Schiffman

The new connectivity will offer mutual clients an enhanced trading experience through the integration of select MarketAxess credit protocols natively within the Aladdin platform.

“As the market evolves, we’re seeing increased adoption of our automation protocols, with many of our clients turning to our strategies for over 90% of their trading volumes,” said Rich Schiffman, global head of trading solutions at MarketAxess.

“We look forward to bringing the latest of our automation protocols, Adaptive Auto-X, as well as our market leading RFQ solutions, Open Trading, and Live Markets central limit order book directly to Aladdin clients through this partnership.”

Read more: ICE Bonds and MarketAxess connect liquidity networks to bolster bond market efficiency

BlackRock’s Aladdin technology platform offers a common data language within an organisation to enable scale, provide insights, and support business transformation.

Risk analytics are combined with portfolio management, trading, operations, and accounting tools on a single, unified platform.

“As the electronification of credit markets continues to accelerate, the demand for robust liquidity, sophisticated workflows, and analytics grows,” said Kamya Somasundaram, global head of Aladdin Partnerships. “We are excited to partner with MarketAxess to deliver an improved trading experience for our users.”

The post MarketAxess extends BlackRock partnership to enhance credit markets connectivity appeared first on The TRADE.

Designed to rival the likes of incumbent exchanges Nasdaq and NYSE in the US, Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) has raised $120 million from around a dozen investors including BlackRock and Citadel Securities in a funding round closed in May.

The new exchange is now setting out plans to file for registration with the US Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC). First reported by Wall Street Journal, TXSE is aiming for a launch at the start of 2025 and host its first listing in 2026.

The TRADE understands that BlackRock has taken a minority investment.  The move comes as part of a series of support from BlackRock or new venues in a bid to support the development of the liquidity landscape including Luminex, RFQ Hub and Members Exchange (MEMX).

“BlackRock is proud to be a founding investor in the Texas Stock Exchange to increase liquidity and improve market efficiency for BlackRock’s clients and other investors in the US capital markets,” said a BlackRock spokesperson.

“TXSE is well positioned to capitalise on the Texas economy and strength of the state’s business environment. We look forward to engaging with the other investors on the benefits of the TXSE’s unique value proposition.”

Citadel Securities had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publishing.

Texas has been noted by market participants as an increasingly significant market in North America and globally, playing host to around 5000 private equity-backed firms and 1500 publicly listed firms.

In an update on social media on Tuesday, chair and chief executive at TXSE James Lee, said: “We are thankful for the support of our more than two dozen investors, including some of the largest financial institutions and liquidity providers in the world, such as BlackRock and Citadel Securities, as well as prominent business leaders from around the country.”

“With approximately $120 million of capital raised, TXSE is expected to be the most well-capitalised exchange entrant to file a registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.”

The post BlackRock and Citadel Securities back new Texas-based challenger exchange appeared first on The TRADE.

Paul Battams was named head of international equity trading at BlackRock following 23 years with the firm. He was most recently head of EMEA equity trading, overseeing a team of 14 traders covering the scope of equities and equity derivatives execution for the entirety of BlackRock’s investment teams. Prior to joining BlackRock as equity derivative trader in 2009, Battams was an equity trader at Barclays Global Investors for 11 years.

Following this, BlackRock appointed Nick Craze to take over from Battams as head of the EMEA equity trading desk.  Craze has been on the desk for more than 15 years and prior to this promotion oversaw the ‘model and derivatives group’ on the BlackRock EMEA equity desk since 2016. He will now manage the entire desk, made up of 14 traders, having previously managed a team of six. Craze joined the asset manager back in 2006, initially working in asset allocation and equity investments before becoming an equity trader.

Tourmaline Partners appointed Peter Murden as managing director – equity trading, as it seeks to further enhance its market reach, as revealed by The TRADE. In his new position, effective as of this month, Murden will be London-based and take on a client-facing role. Before the move to Tourmaline, Murden was a managing director at RBC Capital Markets and prior to this, spent 18 years at Redburn, most recently as a partner in equity trading, before departing following the Rothschild takeover in 2022. Murden has almost 30 years’ experience in the industry having worked several trading roles across the sell-side having begun his career at JP Morgan, then Flemings, back in 1994. His equity trading experience covers Asia, Europe, North America, and the UK.

Stephan Leithner has been appointed as the chief executive officer for Deutsche Börse, taking on the role from 1 October 2024. Leithner will take over the position from Theodor Weimer who has held the chief executive job since 2018. The two will operate as co-CEOs until the end of the year. Leithner has been a member of the executive board of Deutsche Börse AG since 2018, responsible for pre- & post-trading. Deutsche Borse said a decision on his succession will be made in due course. Weimer took over the chief executive role in 2018, moving over from his CEO position at HypoVereinsbank UniCredit Bank. During that time, he has overseen the acquisition of SimCorp and Axioma, among other initiatives such as a 10-year partnership with Google Cloud.

The post People Moves Monday: BNY Mellon, BlackRock, Tourmaline Partners and more… appeared first on The TRADE.

Craze has been on the desk for more than 15 years and prior to this promotion oversaw the ‘model and derivatives group’ on the BlackRock EMEA equity desk since 2016. 

That team was responsible for trading European equity derivatives, as well as all of BlackRock’s European equity index, transitions and quantitative active strategies.

He will now manage the entire desk, made up of 14 traders, having previously managed a team of six.

Read more: Embracing change on the BlackRock EMEA equity trading desk

Craze joined the asset manager back in 2006, initially working in asset allocation and equity investments before becoming an equity trader.

The post BlackRock hires from within for new head of EMEA equity trading appeared first on The TRADE.

He was most recently head of EMEA equity trading, overseeing a team of 14 traders covering the scope of equities and equity derivatives execution for the entirety of BlackRock’s investment teams.

Prior to joining BlackRock as equity derivative trader in 2009, Battams was an equity trader at Barclays Global Investors for 11 years.

The EMEA equity trading desk won the 2023 Trading Desk of the Year, Long-Only Award at the Leaders in Trading 2023 event.

Read more: Embracing change on the BlackRock EMEA equity trading desk

Shortlisted by The TRADE, the team took home the award after an industry vote, having impressed the street with their continued commitment to, and success in, their space.

The post BlackRock appoints Battams as head of international equity trading appeared first on The TRADE.

Head of the EMEA equities desk at the world’s largest asset manager, Paul Battams, oversees a highly talented team of 14 traders covering the scope of equities and equity derivatives execution for the entirety of BlackRock’s investment teams.

Speaking to the most important elements for success in the space, he explains that it’s essential to prioritise embracing change: “It’s the only thing that is constant. Every day is different, and markets are evolving at a phenomenal pace. Be inquisitive, open minded and innovative.”

And that is exactly what the London-based trading team embodies. As Nancy McCartney, director of equity trading and head of the EMEA fundamental equity trading team asserts it is a group of individuals who are “passionate, professional, dedicated, driven,” and, importantly, close knit.

“We each have a role to play but are fully prepared to step into another’s shoes when required, so that PM/client coverage is seamless. Cross-product knowledge is strong and we have regular multi-asset internal and external calls to stay informed of broader themes.”

She adds that “strong partnerships exist between traders and PMs, with constant free flowing dialogue. The uniform use of our OMS and EMS and the complete visibility of the platform allows for efficient execution while frequent system enhancements improve oversight and risk management controls.”

Battams agrees, explaining that the desk is at its core “a very open and collaborative environment,” which has great connectivity within the firm’s wider global trading team which comprises more than 220 individuals across 11 offices.

“It’s an extremely busy desk and each day is different, so the team needs to be able to pivot and align resources accordingly. High levels of communication are required. Each trader is a student of the markets and every day is a learning opportunity. There is a huge amount of data and a very detailed focus on transaction cost analysis and automation. We also recognise that the human element, trader intuition and strong relationships and partnerships both internally and externally are essential.

“Every trader has an area of focus and responsibility […] there are lots of projects and initiatives that traders contribute to or own. It’s a very diverse team with lots of different personalities and characters.”

Staying ahead of the game

One of these characters is Marie Geekie, director EMEA equity trading, who runs all things equity in CEEMEA (Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa). Having joined the desk in 2020, Geekie is a key facet of the team – a regular at industry events, recognising the value of keeping up relationships with exchanges, brokers and liquidity providers in order to deliver only the best outcomes for BlackRock’s clients.

In terms of what impacts her day-to-day work the most, Geekie highlights “the constant variance of the CEEMEA space and the hunt for liquidity with wrap around execution coverage.”

In addition to trading, Geekie also facilitates business-wide ‘action groups’ aimed at monitoring developments of, and providing intelligence on, key market events. This includes geopolitical conflicts in Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East, as well as other goings-on such as earthquakes and market suspension in Turkey.

“This involves working with teams such as financial crime, risk, sanctions, compliance, corporate communications etc. [and] I also engage with exchanges on developing market structure and investigate new market openings,” explains Geekie.

As a team, subject matter expertise and the continual pursuit of keeping abreast of market happenings is a core focus, with the entire desk encouraged to both continually develop strategies and embrace technological changes.

“From a desk perspective, we need a diverse team with a high level of core competency but with subject matter expertise in specific areas such as index rebalances, electronic trading, block trading, emerging markets, small cap, market structure, regulation, coding, data analysis and project management to name just a few,” says Battams.

Trader Nick Craze spoke to the importance of incremental change and innovation, explaining that the team are encouraged to develop and evolve execution strategies and processes, with developing technology essential.

Over the years, the BlackRock team has embraced electronification and made significant investments in technology, as demonstrated by the customisation of its EMS, aimed at handling complex trading workflows.

“The strength of technology teams at BlackRock give us the confidence to be innovative and drive the market leading trading solutions,” says Craze.

The importance of passion

The desk has a wide breadth of coverage with individuals working across teams in order to provide a seamless service. McCartney heads up the EMEA fundamental equity trading team, having made the shift from the London Stock Exchange to the front-office earlier in her career.

She has now been with BlackRock for 14 years, inspired by the fast-paced and dynamic environment, as well as the firm’s culture which places growth and development at the fore.

“The people I work with are inspirational and the trading team are very close knit. We are respectful, inclusive and supportive of each other and we are encouraged to grow and develop our own ideas,” says McCartney who adds that “BlackRock offers a unique platform to showcase talents in a supportive environment. There is plenty of room for career growth and [we] are challenged to develop as individuals on a daily basis.”

She emphasises that in order to fulfil the desk’s remit, being passionate about the markets is a key facet in order to ensure exceptional service, as well as having an array of tools in the toolbox in order to facilitate efficient execution. In addition, it is important for individuals to be able to maintain effective sell-side partnerships, says McCartney.

“What makes a good trader? Somebody who is very detailed, driven to achieve the best outcome for clients, is patient, who does not panic, a team player, tech savvy, determined and someone who has a good sense of humour!”

Battams echoes this sentiment, asserting that the role of traders has evolved significantly over those last two decades, now reaching further than just execution.

“The best traders are passionate about markets, focused on execution performance and willing to challenge the status quo. They are team players that add ‘trader alpha’ to the investment process. Good communication skills and cultural fit are extremely important.”

Developing strategies

The desk’s wide-ranging focus also includes derivatives, with Craze overseeing the ‘model and derivatives group’ since 2016, a team responsible for trading European equity derivatives, as well as all of BlackRock’s European equity index, transitions and quantitative active strategies.

Craze now manages a team of six traders, having been on the desk for more than 15 years, well-matched to the role’s “mathematical nature, technical development, faced paced market environment and supportive colleagues”.

Looking to the future and where the focus will lie, Craze tells The TRADE: “I think sourcing new and current liquidity opportunities efficiently will continue to be the priority and to compliment this, advanced automation of appropriate flow will continue to evolve, which here at BlackRock is very much the responsibility of the trading team.”

“Over the last five years, we have really developed our relationships with investment teams internally and I expect these partnerships to be extended into further investment process enhancements. On the derivatives side, we made large strides to remove any manual processes and we are now in a great spot to build more electronification in this space and build processes to support traders in the more complex assets,” he adds.

Within the ‘models and derivatives group’ Nat Foster focuses on executing equity derivatives, as he has done since the late 1990’s. He works across the spectrum, from vanilla products including equity index futures and equity options, to light exotic OTC trades.

Foster explains: “In addition to managing the derivatives order flow, I also have a role as the ‘eyes and ears’ in markets for a broad cross section of investment teams and risk takers.  I regularly communicate the flows, positioning and themes we see in the market to global investment teams which adds a layer of granularity to all the published data.”

Addressing the current state of play, he highlights the increasing relevance of market volatility across all areas of focus, including derivatives. Where there is more risk to hedge, there is more opportunity to capture with derivatives an “excellent tool” in both circumstances, explains Foster.

He adds that volatility affects not only what traders do, but also how they do it, determining the approach to execution in the quest to deliver the best results to clients.

Speaking to the lessons gleaned from his experiences in this space, Foster tells The TRADE: “I consider myself very fortunate to have experienced first-hand some of the most remarkable world events and trading conditions. I have also traded for some of the greatest minds in markets which has informed not only my professional career but also my approach to life.

“The biggest thing I have learnt in trading or any decision you make in life is that you cannot control the outcome. You can only control your process.”

Looking to the future

Speaking to the main points of focus going forward from his perspective and the future outlook for the next five years, Battams tells The TRADE: “The growth in $ notional and number of orders that we execute has increased significantly over the years, and I don’t see that changing. At the same time, the regulatory landscape will continue to evolve. We’ve already witnessed a redistribution of risk taking and a shift in market share as balance sheets have become more constrained and more alternative or principal trading firms continue to build their trading franchises.

“Trading will be more complex, and we will be managing more risk. To do that successfully we will need to continue leveraging technology to build scale and operational efficiency. This will include more automation and more use of data and research driven workflows to ensure we optimise our access to liquidity both internally and externally.”

What is abundantly clear when it comes to the BlackRock EMEA equity desk is the collaborative nature of the team – tackling challenges and supporting one another continually in order to provide a collective service for funds, and subsequently, clients.

“I think our dynamic is best characterised as fast-paced, collaborative, and a results-driven environment. We are fortunate to have a rich pool of talent/experience/ages and everyone looks out for each other,” says Geekie.

Craze echoes this sentiment: “We tackle challenges as a team always supporting each other and it’s impressive to see the team pull together on our busiest days that require an exceptional amount of coordination and focus. […] Communication is key on a trading desk, especially one of our size and we have built an open and friendly environment to help drive collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation. For any trader, particularly one starting out their career, it’s an exceptional desk to be part of and the learning opportunities are enormous.”

BlackRock as a team is demonstrably primed to continue its successful run, having built a solid and diverse team of well-rounded traders, committed to not only embracing change, but leading it, as McCartney concludes: “Diversity of thought and a team that is driven to innovate is essential.”

Despite the busy, fast-paced nature of the desk, Battams confirms that it is also infused with balance, as he asserts that the hardworking team “also manages to have some fun too!”

The post Embracing change on the BlackRock EMEA equity trading desk appeared first on The TRADE.

The next phase of this partnership will provide Aladdin users trading US and European credit with access to enhanced liquidity via Tradeweb AllTrade, Tradeweb’s network of anonymous liquidity.

This expanded integration will offer Aladdin users trading via Tradeweb AllTrade with access to new liquidity pools and market sectors including Rematch, which has access to billions of unmatched risk from Tradeweb’s dealer sweep; Tradeweb Direct, the firm’s retail platform; and Tradeweb’s AllTrade network.

Since its launch in 2017, Tradeweb AllTrade’s institutional all-to-all trading now represents 28% of RFQ electronic volume.  

“Our goal is to facilitate end-to-end credit workflow and allow clients to tap varied sources of liquidity,” said Elisabeth Kirby, managing director, head of market structure at Tradeweb.

“This next phase of our partnership with Aladdin plays to the strength of our comprehensive all-to-all network, while leveraging the Aladdin platform’s extensive OEMS capabilities and broad institutional client base to create greater liquidity, connectivity and transparency across our markets.”

In December last year, Tradeweb and BlackRock announced their multi-year partnership to integrate Tradeweb’s credit trading solutions and proprietary data onto BlackRock’s Aladdin OEMS.

In the first phase of the partnership, Aladdin users gained access to real-time prices for around 25,000 corporate bonds using the service.

“We are excited to be working with Tradeweb on this next stage of our multi-year partnership,” said Kamya Somasundaram, global head of Aladdin Partnerships.

“Over the past year, we’ve had great success in seizing opportunities that provide common clients with more seamless access to liquidity and improved workflow efficiency as credit markets continue to evolve.”

The post BlackRock enters next phase of platform integration with Tradeweb appeared first on The TRADE.

My passion for finance and commerce began at an early age. However, I lacked role models who worked in finance, so I knew very little about the sector. It wasn’t until university, where I studied economics, that potential career paths became apparent. We were frequently approached by the top four accountancy firms who spoke about amazing opportunities, but I quickly realised this wasn’t the path for me. A friend suggested I consider investment banking and following a trading and sales summer placement at ABN AMRO in the City, I was instantly captivated – I had found my fit. 

Fast forward to the end of my studies, I applied for a position at a European investment bank. My career began in 2007, which nicely coincided with the start of the global financial crisis – certainly an interesting time to be a recent graduate and a very steep learning curve. I spent eight years on the sell-side in various fixed income trading roles, before jumping to the buy-side, and to BlackRock, where I am today.

I began my buy-side journey on the ETF capital markets team, a product and market infrastructure I had no experience of, which was incredibly exciting and daunting at the same time. My rational was twofold. One, whilst growth had generally stagnated following the global financial crisis, ETFs were experiencing an enormous rate of advancement and I could see they were transforming bond markets. Two, I was keen to learn more about the investments process and experience the BlackRock culture I heard so much about, especially the focus on female development and advancement. Today, I am a senior fixed income trader in our global trading team, combining my extensive sell-side and ETF product knowledge, and market passion to deliver best execution for our global clients. 

How has the role of the trader shifted over the years and what new skills are required to be a successful trader?

I think the role of the trader – both on the buy- and sell-side – has shifted significantly since I started my career. In the past, traders tended to specialise in a narrow sector of an asset class. Today, traders are a lot more agile for two reasons. Regulation post the global financial crisis altered bank operating models and reduced balance sheet capacity. Secondly, major advances in technology and data science have greatly influenced not only the role of trading, but the entire investment decision making process, with increasing reliance on electronic trading. I’ve witnessed a rapidly evolving landscape, which means that today’s trader must also proactively evolve to keep pace and stay ahead of the market curve. Adaptability is key.

 Today’s trader needs a strong comprehension of how the market works, as well as the ability to effectively navigate and aggregate fragmented liquidity – especially with the number of new alternative liquidity providers and platforms, and during increasing bouts of volatility. Being versed in technology advancements, the ability to use algos and analytics, and combining this with an understanding of sensitivity of pricing is important. We’re seeing a lot of young professionals joining trading teams with extensive coding and computer science skills and are comfortable with new algorithmic technologies and AI. It’s interesting to see the combination of traditional and non-traditional skillsets proliferating trading floors and creating the trader of the future.

What key changes are driving the modernisation of bond markets?

Bond markets have been evolving at a rapid pace for a while. What has got us here are similar dynamics I spoke to in relation to a change in trader role and will continue to drive modernisation forward.

As mentioned, regulation has redefined bank balance sheets and we’ve consequently witnessed a change in the composition of the traditional broker-dealer community. When I first started my career, banks were viewed as being the main liquidity providers. Over the years I’ve seen an expanded set of counterparties emerge, with the rise in alternative liquidity providers, utilising algorithmic technology and providing pricing via electronic platforms.

Continued advancements in technology is allowing us to move to a multi-asset class trading environment, where data and technology are at the forefront. The ever-changing macro and regulatory environment are also accelerating modernisation. We’re at the end of the great moderation, with higher volatility, persistent inflation, and elevated interest rates. Against this backdrop, we are moving from a depth to a breadth market, creating a need for new technology, capabilities, and ways of thinking about fixed income risk.

How is automation and the use of algos shifting the landscape in fixed income?

I think the biggest shift resulting from automation has been the deployment of index and basket instruments. We’re seeing a significantly increased use of bond portfolio trading and fixed income ETFs, where sophisticated pricing tools are not only enabling us to trade these products with greater frequency, but are the differentiator. This trend is also reflected by the e-trading desk composition at banks, where bond algos, portfolio trading, fixed income ETFs and credit index products are now regularly combined. 

Portfolio trading has been especially impactful for credit markets where liquidity can be challenging. Sell-side dealers can facilitate numerous individual bonds trading simultaneously, enabling us to access risk in an aggregated way rather than on a line-by-line basis, reducing transaction costs for our clients. 

Fixed income ETFs are also fast becoming an integral trading tool in fixed income portfolios, with their ability to combine bond trading with equity infrastructure, providing additional liquidity and intraday transparency to the bond market. On the desk, I trade across the broad spectrum of fixed income ETFs, from rates to EM exposures, and I’ve witnessed a substantial increase in usage. We estimate that UCITS EUR-denominated credit ETF volumes rose 25% in H1 2022 versus H1 2021 industry wide, while underlying IG and HY bonds volumes were flat during the same period.

How can technology, automation and pricing tools act as a differentiator?

At BlackRock, we operate a centralised trading desk model with a global footprint. This allows us to trade in regions or time zones that offer the best liquidity, which translates into competitive pricing for our clients. We also have a systematic trading desk which executes low touch flow electronically, utilising increasingly sophisticated technology. This trend is mirrored on the sell-side, where banks have developed their own algos for low-touch bond trading, creating instant risk transfer. This electronification of trading flow allows our high touch desk, which I sit on, to focus on alpha generating activities. 

In this context, technology and automation has made our decision making smarter. We can execute multiple trades simultaneously using smarter tools, freeing up time for our high touch desk to handle larger and more complex transactions. This has resulted in greater efficiency on the desk, greater sophistication of trading and importantly, it has improved both our pre- and post-trade analysis.

How does BlackRock navigate shifting liquidity supply and demand dynamics?

As the liquidity landscape continues to evolve, we are constantly assessing our global trading platform infrastructure and execution capabilities. Currently our workflow is optimised for scale, delivering performance through efficiencies and risk control. As we look to the future, we envision an increasingly networked trading platform and ecosystem. One which is fluid with respect to information flow, delivers real-time liquidity, and creates alpha opportunities to benefit our clients. In this networked environment, buy- and sell-side interact seamlessly, with sell-side dealers remaining fundamental to our trading activity.

What tools are required to make this all-to-all network environment?

As mentioned, we are continuously looking for opportunities to enhance trading efficiency. As we navigate a more networked environment, the continued evolution of Aladdin, which is our centralised global platform for our trading and investment management process, remains key. Aladdin enables us to manage trade orders efficiently through a centralised dashboard, it creates direct market access via integration with execution platforms and sell-side dealers, trading analytics, and multi-portfolio functionality such as crossing which allows us to internalise some of our trading flow and minimise market footprint and transaction costs for our clients. 

How do you navigate being a working mother? What more needs to be done to encourage a suitable work/life balance for parents in general?

Returning to work as a first-time mother last year was certainly challenging, and I believe resilience, a positive mindset, and a supportive environment, were all key to my personal journey. Prior to returning, I proactively leant on my employee networks, which helped guide important childcare decisions, alleviated concerns and provided comfort, and importantly an ongoing supportive environment once back at work. There’s no silver bullet or single strategy, but I believe flexibility is key. It’s something I didn’t necessarily appreciate before having children, but at BlackRock, we have a flexible working environment for all employees, which provides not only the option to work from home one day a week, but also flexible time off. This has been invaluable for me when balancing work and childcare commitments, and I believe critical for firms to think about, especially with respect to female talent retention. 

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