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My Job Description… For the past few years, I have focused on technology for the international financial markets. Working with other technologists, I develop computer solutions for trading and securities firms. It is an aggressive, high profile environment, and I enjoy it very much. Creating systems that are secure and reliable is absolutely vital in the fast-paced, billion dollar markets traded each day. And How I Got It… I have always loved both finance and technology; having this combination of skills has enabled me to talk business with traders and to translate their needs into computer solutions. I travel a lot and acclimate quickly to local customs and time zones, working in Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Argentina and Switzerland. I co-founded a firm called Butterfly which provides computer solutions for domestic financial companies needing help moving into international markets. My most memorable job interview was for a large investment firm. I had an interview on a Friday morning; I walked into an empty conference room and sat at a long conference table. A few minutes later, six head traders filed into the room and began to rapid-fire questions at me. I responded just as quickly; no sooner did I answer one question then another one would be lobbed back. Fifteen minutes later, I was asked to leave the room; when I was summoned back, there was an offer on the table. They wanted to know if I could start right then. I was on my way to Vermont to ski for the weekend, but I accepted the position and started working on the trading floor the following Monday. And Why I Was Well Suited For It (And It For Me)… From the time I was a little girl, growing up on Texas farmland, I was fascinated with finance. Farmers are some of the best futures traders around; their livelihood depends on it. I went to school to study Economics and Business Finance but always enjoyed putting technology to use to simplify a task. One day I moved to New York City. I’d never been there before but knew I wanted to work on Wall Street. I found a job with a large investment bank, working on bond portfolios. A bond analysis program had been developed for the bank’s traders, but they couldn’t use it because it was “too technical”. I learned a number of Lotus 1-2-3 macros and created a visual presentation of the bond analysis that the traders could really grasp! The product was a success, and I was able to combine my love of finance and technology – and get paid for it! At the time, there were very few technology people focusing on the financial sector – I had found my niche. When I’m Not Working, I’m… ...an adrenaline junkie. Wall Street is perfect for me: the energy, the pressure, the risks. The same goes for my personal life. From March to October, my passion is motorcycles. It’s an exhilarating Manhattan commute; with my suit in a knapsack, I dodge taxis, potholes and pedestrians on my way to work. I’ve even been known to do a wheelie through Times Square! On the weekends I road race and drag race my bikes. When I’m not on the bike, I love jet skiing and slalom water skiing. In winter, my favorite weekend pastimes are snowboarding in the Rockies and Sierras or heading to a warm Caribbean island. My favorite thing to do is to see just how much I can fit into a weekend, because Monday is always a new adventure, and I love to work almost as much as I love to play! D. Moses photo © Michael Paras Photography |
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