“ 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 .” at ABN AMRO in the City , I was instantly captivated - I had found my fit .
[ B I G I N T E R V I E W | L A U R A - J A N E P U R N E L L ]
Laura-Jane Purnell
Director , senior fixed income and FI ETF trader at BlackRock , Laura-Jane Purnell , sits down with WESLEY BRAY to discuss her journey to the trading desk , the key drivers in the modernisation of bond markets and how to navigate shifting liquidity supply and demand dynamics .
Tell us about your journey to becoming a fixed income trader at BlackRock 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
“ 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 .” 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
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