A Mavenites Journey

I joined Maven 4 years ago as a Business Development Analyst. Having previously worked on the sell-side in a client-facing role, I was excited to jump to the buy-side and gain a different perspective. The role was diverse and demanding. I was working with new business growth initiatives, such as new trading strategies or products, and overseeing the project from its inception through to go-live. I also shared responsibility for the management of market data within the firm. I met regularly with various internal and external stakeholder as well as attending countless networking events.

I recall the first 6 months to 1 year being a steep learning curve, especially when I realised that the firm was as much a technology firm as it was a trading firm! One thing that instantly struck me at Maven was the flat structure and its informal, friendly nature. I’d gone from an office of around 4,000 employees at my previous job to 150 at Maven. It was nice to be able to recognise the faces around me and also see the directors and managers sat amongst everyone on the floor. Initially, we were only 2 in my team. This gave me a lot of exposure to the business and the ability to make a noticable impact, however, the pressure was on and it was time to sink or swim!

My confidence gradually grew, and my colleagues were patient with me as I asked question after question. I sat my CISI introduction to investment exam and tried to familiarise myself with the key specialisations of each department I worked with. I learnt to swim!

After 2 years, the firm had expanded and it made sense for my role to specialise a bit more. Sticking with my strengths while gaining more responsibility, I took on the role of Project Governance and Business Intelligence Manager. My focus was on the implementation of new business projects, overseeing trader onboarding and defining the new project delivery framework. I was also producing reports for our Executive Committee on the aforementioned. I was given complete ownership of the area, and continued to work with all departments across the firm, from Support to Technology to Trading.

This move came during the global pandemic meaning that we were confined to home working, and at times this could be quite isolating, particularly in a role relying so much on in person interaction. The upside was the realisation that flexible working and productivity could co-exist and when we did eventually return to work, a new hybrid model was born. I now spend 3 days in the office and 2 at home, which as a project manager, gives me a few days to check in face-to-face with key stakeholders and hold project meetings in person but also time to focus on updating plans and documentation at home.

At the time of writing this blog post, it is exactly 4 years since I joined and what a ride it’s been! In that time, the number of Maven employees has doubled, we’ve launched two additional trading business areas (Systematic Alpha and Digital Assets), we opened 4 new global offices (New York, Amsterdam, Sydney, Chicago) and I now hold the role of Head of Project Governance.

One of the best things about Maven is the people they hire and their values. The company prides itself on the talent it attracts. The environment is fast-paced yet collaborative and my peers are bright, adaptable and willing to share ideas to drive forward innovation. The next big milestone which I’m looking forward to is the move to our new office on Bishopsgate, where our 3 current floors will come together on one, with new break-out areas, seating (and a bar!) reinforcing the social nature of the firm.