Pui Ian Tong is a Vice President on the BlackRock Solutions Implementations team. Learn more about her role and her experience at BlackRock.
Tell us a bit about your role at BlackRock, and what your journey at the company has been like.
I am an implementation manager for Aladdin, BlackRock’s investment management technology that is both used internally and delivered externally to other financial institutions. My team is responsible for the installation and deployment of Aladdin products and services; we work with clients to understand, redesign and deploy strategic business workflows across the full spectrum of the investment cycle.
I started as a summer intern at BlackRock in 2012, and joined the firm as a full-time analyst the following year; I became part of the Aladdin team in 2018. My first role here provided me with opportunities to pick up technical skills like SQL and acquire a strong grasp of all asset classes, as well as interact with colleagues across both BlackRock’s asset management business and its Aladdin technology business. Serving as a security data subject matter expert in my next role, I was able to work even more closely with our clients and the Aladdin business. This gave me a glimpse into how Aladdin transforms investment organizations – including some of the largest in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
What attracted you to the company when you first joined?
The people! When I started as an intern, I feared that my lack of knowledge in finance and technology would make me a liability to my team. My worries were quickly dispelled with the open culture of BlackRock, where everyone, regardless of level, is always ready to share their knowledge. My manager even connected me with experts in the U.S. for my internship project.
What excites or inspires you most about working on Aladdin?
Aladdin is always evolving to provide technology solutions for different segments of the finance industry. I constantly feel challenged in my role, having to quickly gain in-depth knowledge of functionality and workflows as well as industry expertise to ensure clients are able to take full advantage of everything Aladdin has to offer.
How do you view BlackRock’s position in the fintech space?
BlackRock’s position in the fintech space has increased rapidly in recent years. When I first joined BlackRock eight years ago, few of my friends and family had heard about us. With the growth of BlackRock, plus having Aladdin deployed to multiple organizations in the region, our technology offering has become much better known, with an expanding user base among larger organizations.
How do you work with other teams within Aladdin and/or across BlackRock?
One of my key responsibilities as an implementation manager is to coordinate resources across different Aladdin and BlackRock teams. We work with product managers to support client development needs; the client services team to configure the Aladdin environment to each client’s needs; and our client engagement partners to ensure a smooth transition from implementation to daily operations and servicing. Successfully implementing a client is a true One BlackRock effort.
How would you describe the culture at BlackRock Singapore?
Open and driven – people are always willing to share their knowledge and engage in productive discussions. BlackRock is constantly seeking out ways to improve and grow, which translates into new opportunities and challenges you can raise your hand for. The Singapore office is diverse and multinational but with a small company feel – everyone is accessible, and people get to know each other on a more personal level. That’s what I enjoy most!
In what ways do you feel supported by your local team in Singapore and by BlackRock as a whole?
The emphasis BlackRock places on people’s well-being, and its recognition that every individual has many aspects of their lives that they are juggling – from career to family to hobbies and interests – is evident from all aspects of the organization. With benefits like flexible time off and active employee networks that are open to everyone, I feel encouraged to bring my whole self to work and to champion the causes I am passionate about.
My managers have also been very supportive of my personal pursuits. When I wanted to visit the U.S. for six weeks, my manager allowed me to combine my trip with some time working in our New York and Seattle offices. This allowed me to enjoy my travels and provided an amazing opportunity to finally meet my U.S. colleagues – some of whom I have been working with since I joined the firm.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
BlackRock’s annual Hackathon is a great way for employees all over the world to lean into their passions and advance remarkable ideas that help serve those around them. At an innovative company like BlackRock, winning the Hackathon is no small feat, with thousands across the firm participating each year. This year’s Hackathon theme was sustainability – and the winning team from our Belgrade, Serbia, office was up to the challenge.
Bee BlackRock was created by Tanja Babic, Dimitrije Veljkovic, Filip Cordas, Gordana Pejic, Kristina Stanojevic and Nenad Nikolic. The Hackathon-winning mobile platform uses gamification to encourage colleagues across the firm to achieve sustainable goals together. According to Gordana, “We thought we could make something all of us could use.” Bee BlackRock inspires users to adopt a variety of lifestyle hacks that can help make a significant impact on both the environment and society – decreasing individual carbon footprints and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in our everyday lives.
Belgrade is one of BlackRock’s most important tech hubs and a center for the development of eFront and Aladdin, the foundation for the firm’s technology platform. With ~550 colleagues – two-thirds of whom are women – the Belgrade office is our fourth largest office in Europe. Hundreds of Belgrade-based engineers, data analysts, project and relationship managers and more support our Aladdin clients around the world.
“This office is critical for our alternatives and Aladdin strategies,” notes Benoit Doumas, Head of the Belgrade office and a senior leader on the Aladdin Product Group team.
With such important work happening, our Belgrade office has seen tremendous growth, going from 80 people seven years ago to more than 500 today – and it’s only continuing to expand, particularly as a key piece of BlackRock’s global technology strategy.
“Everyone in the office really wants to participate in the life of BlackRock,” says Marina Jeremic, who leads HR in Belgrade. The Bee BlackRock team is just one example, spurring innovation that brings together employees across the firm toward a common purpose. And BlackRock isn’t wasting any time getting the team’s idea up and running, as Bee BlackRock and the firm’s SustainaBLK network are partnering to implement a Net Zero challenge app for all employees.
“The 2021 Hackathon experience, with all of the amazing Belgrade hackers and supporters involved, was energizing, creative, fun, emotional and memorable,” remarks Ana Zaric, Global Head of Customer Support for the eFront product suite and one of this year’s Hackathon leads from Belgrade.
Click here to learn more about life at BlackRock.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Wincel Kaufmann is an avid scuba diver—and it was this hobby that inspired the corporate real estate consultant to pursue a path within real estate that better aligned with her love of the environment: sustainable investing.
“As a scuba diver, I’ve seen the impact of climate change over the years,” says the Singapore-based Kaufmann, who a few years ago attended a conference and heard Vice President Al Gore speak about sustainable investing. “He said that sustainability is the biggest investment opportunity in history, and referred to a ‘sustainable revolution,’ which has the magnitude of the agricultural and industrial revolutions, but the speed of the digital revolution.”
The idea that sustainable investing was not just a trend, but rather something that could become the new standard pushed Kaufmann to find her current role, as the Head of Sustainable Investing for APAC Real Assets for BlackRock. She’s also a member of the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB)’s Asia Benchmark Committee.
Here, Kaufmann shares what she’s currently working on, how BlackRock’s Singapore office is a great place to grow your career, and why it’s an especially exciting time to join the company.
BlackRock is a leader in sustainable investing and our CEO Larry Fink talks about helping investors achieve their goals towards net zero, which means the company will cut the net greenhouse-gas emissions of their portfolios to zero. Sustainability is not only about managing risks, but it is also the biggest source of investment opportunities.
I am responsible for integrating ESG (environmental, social and governance) considerations in our investment process. At the sourcing and due diligence stage in Asia real estate, ESG risks and opportunities are identified using our proprietary ESG questionnaire. Any material risks or opportunities are reviewed by the investment committee, and risk mitigation or opportunity implementation plans are agreed upon. Once the asset is under our management, these plans are then implemented and monitored.
On the “E” in ESG, we focus on energy efficiency in all of the buildings that we manage, as this has both environmental and financial impact. A great example is an asset in Australia that will have its own solar panels on the roof. The clean energy will generate enough power for the whole building and will provide income without requiring additional capital. The clean energy will offset more than 13,000 tonnes of carbon emission—that’s equivalent to the energy used by 1,500 homes in a year or removing 3,000 cars from the road.
Across the region, particularly in Singapore, Japan and China, we optimize our buildings’ air-conditioning systems. This has resulted in a 25% reduction in energy consumption, which also leads to financial savings.
On the “S,” or social component of ESG, our focus is on the impact to communities, particularly the tenants who work in our buildings. We provide access to fitness centers, child-care facilities and cycle-to-work amenities. We also run regular tenant activities ranging from fitness programs, celebration of local festivities and charitable works. These improvements in the quality of amenities and services increase the attractiveness of the buildings to both the tenants and future investors.
In Singapore, one of our tenants is a successful indoor farm company that is producing fresh vegetables for local consumers. The building holds a Green Mark Gold Award from the Building and Construction Authority and continues to attract a variety of tenants.
We consider opportunities for local and internationally recognized green building certifications to validate these efforts. Aside from international ones such as LEED and BREEAM, we use national energy certification called NABERS in Australia and the BCA Green Mark in Singapore.
We are also a member of the aforementioned GRESB, where all of our property and infrastructure funds are submitted to and compared to our peers. Our funds perform extremely well, with either 4 or 5 Green Stars out of 5, and consistently outperform their peers year-over-year.
Singapore is a regional hub for BlackRock with a wide range of investment businesses. It’s a great place to develop your career with leaders who support employee growth and well-being. There’s no better place to work than that with a culture of support, both at work and in your life outside the office.
There’s no better place to work than that with a culture of support, both at work and in your life outside the office.
BlackRock is a great company to work for and has an extensive network for applicants. The individuals working in the company are very approachable and most will respond if you reach out to them for career advice.
A solid financial background is great to have, combined with the desire to make a positive impact. The term “sustainable investing” is used widely now to describe how we invest. In the future, we hope that the term will not be needed anymore as it becomes a norm for investing.
This article was originally published on The Muse.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Featuring three colleagues from BlackRock’s Atlanta Innovation Hub who are making a difference at work and in the community
How did you get involved with Skyland Trail?
Soon after arriving in Atlanta, I knew I wanted to get involved in my new community, and mental health is a topic that is important to both my wife and me. So many people are affected by mental health issues that are often left untreated until, in many cases, they are at an advanced stage. I have seen firsthand how debilitating mental illness can be, how no one is immune to it, the emotional stress it puts on loved ones and how important it is to seek proper medical care.
Skyland Trail is a nonprofit mental health organization that treats adolescents and adults. It offers a holistic program of evidence-based psychiatric treatment, integrated medical care, research and education. Skyland Trail treats each patient as an individual rather than as just a diagnosis, creating a personalized plan that focuses on the positive attributes each person brings to their recovery process. After two fellow Columbia Business School alums recommended Skyland Trail, I toured the facilities, met the leadership team, learned about their approach to treatment and ultimately worked with them on fundraising. It was an honor when they extended the invitation to join the board. I hope my involvement with this organization will help draw attention to — and remove the stigma of — seeking mental health treatment.
Tell us about your journey to Atlanta from New York — and what surprised you most about the Atlanta office.
My wife and I loved New York City, but it became increasingly difficult for us to raise two kids there. I visited the Atlanta office in June of 2019 and was really impressed by the opportunity to live in a diverse, growing and vibrant city where we could enjoy more space and a healthy quality of life. As I learned more about the office and the ambitions of creating a microcosm of the firm, I knew that moving to Atlanta to help build the office would be an exciting next step in my career. Simultaneously, my wife got her dream job with Delta Air Lines in Atlanta – it was meant to be!
The office is unique in that it is infused with the culture of Atlanta and reflects the diversity of the city. Sitting in the cradle of the American civil rights movement, there is a high level of social activism that often sets the tone for the rest of the country. For example, BlackRock was a signatory to a petition to pass the Georgia hate crimes bill following the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. This was a grassroots effort led by the people in our office who wanted to make a change following this heinous act, and it ultimately found its way to top leadership at BlackRock. I am inspired every day by the passion everyone in the office has for diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as for making a difference in the office, the city and the country.
Tell us about your role as Head of Community Strategy and what you hope to accomplish.
This role is at the intersection of so many great things: a successful community engagement strategy focused on the needs of Atlantans, the enrichment of BlackRock’s culture by empowering our people to do what they love inside and outside of work, and the difference we can make in connecting with our clients through all this vital work in the community. Through social impact, university engagement and other forms of corporate and civic engagement, we’re also helping to build BlackRock’s brand in the Southeast.
What do you do with Public Broadcasting Atlanta?
Public Broadcasting Atlanta is one of the largest public broadcasting stations in Georgia — it’s Metro Atlanta’s NPR station. I sit on the board of directors that provides oversight to the public radio station and the public station that broadcasts PBS. I advise on organizational matters, business, finance, fundraising, development and so forth. I also attend regular board meetings, where I meet with an incredibly diverse set of Atlantans who are leaders in their own respect. We seek to provide the truth and fact-based broadcasting to our stakeholder: the community of Metro Atlanta.
What advice do you have for others at BlackRock looking for opportunities to engage with the Atlanta community?
Part of my job is to empower all people at BlackRock Atlanta to take on community leadership roles — whatever that means to you. I think it’s key to find the intersection of what’s important to BlackRock and your day job, but more significantly, of what drives you as a person. That can be really powerful. There are opportunities to engage and lead in our community that can not only help you in your day-to-day work, but also be fulfilling for you personally.
How does your work at BlackRock inform your work with GPEE, and vice versa?
As a GPEE board member, I attend quarterly meetings to stay up to date on programs and needs, vote on issues, fundraise and voice opinions on matters raised. GPEE also runs several “critical issues” forums, and because of my Board participation, BlackRock was able to sponsor the “Critical Issues Forum on Student Mental Health,” which ties in with many of the mental health topics we are currently discussing. It was extremely well received, with over 400 attendees. As a result of our relationship, GPEE has applied for BlackRock’s Gives Grant and I’m hopeful they will receive some funding.
GPEE has also become the sought-after source for information on education policy and research on education. They started publishing an annual report in 2005 called “The Top Ten Issues to Watch,” which is now the go-to publication for identifying key public education issues facing the state.
Tell us how your role within the Aladdin Business/Aladdin Product Group (APG) has evolved over the last 10 years.
I started in BlackRock Solutions in 2004. I was actually in the Portfolio Analytics Group (PAG) for the first year and then merged the small AnSer support team with the Aladdin Support team. We started as a NY-based team and by the time I left, we were about 125 people across New York, San Francisco, Delaware, London, Edinburgh, Singapore, Tokyo and Gurgaon. After 11 years, I moved into the APG COO team to both manage the APG analyst program and work on ad-hoc projects for the APG COO at the time. Since then, I’ve moved into the business management team within the APG COO team, managing headcount and finances, in addition to starting the Atlanta team!
What is unique about being a technologist in the Atlanta office?
Regardless of the role you play, you have the ability to meet people across functions and learn how we all operate together. As a technologist in a smaller office, you learn more about the firm because your projects usually allow you to engage with end-users – or at least understand the bigger picture of how your work impacts other teams. We also have the benefit of being in a city where technology jobs are expanding, so there will be more and more meetups and people to connect with over time.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Qiuting Pan has serendipity to thank for the course of her career path: She was working as an investment analyst at a private equity real estate firm in Singapore when it was acquired by BlackRock in 2013. While she hadn’t been looking for a different role at the time, a position as a senior analyst and portfolio manager at her new employer presented itself.
Photo credit: Qiuting Pan (Director, Global Real Asset Securities, Singapore)
Qiuting Pan has serendipity to thank for the course of her career path: She was working as an investment analyst at a private equity real estate firm in Singapore when it was acquired by BlackRock in 2013. While she hadn’t been looking for a different role at the time, a position as a senior analyst and portfolio manager at her new employer presented itself.
“Joining BlackRock’s relatively new listed real estate securities team at that time via an internal transfer was an opportunity too good to miss” says Pan, who is still happy in her job more than nine years later.
Here, Pan talks about how BlackRock supports its employees, the company culture at the Singapore office, and the skills that have led to her success.
My career journey has pretty much revolved around real estate, which is the one asset class I have the most passion for. This was a big reason why I joined CapitaLand, a Singaporean-based real estate company, as a management trainee right after graduation from the National University of Singapore. In CapitaLand, the rotations and interactions with colleagues across different real estate-focused teams in Singapore, Malaysia, and China were hugely formative, and provided great foundational insights into the working of real estate investment, development, and management.
I graduated during the years following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in 2008, and job opportunities within investment teams were limited. This led me to jump at the opportunity to join the private equity real estate firm MGPA as an investment analyst in Asia Pacific. MGPA was subsequently acquired by Blackrock in 2013 as part of the firm’s plan to grow its investment capabilities in the alternatives space.
BlackRock’s people, culture, and emphasis on career development have all been clear examples of the firm’s support for its employees. One thing that struck me was the level of effort to support employees’ well-being during the pandemic, including the flexibility to take time off as required, no-meeting / flex Fridays, and many benefits to support families and caregivers.
As a senior analyst and portfolio manager, I work closely with the co-global chief investment officers and my fellow colleagues within the Global Real Assets Securities team to generate performance in line with the investment objectives as agreed with our clients. This includes my primary coverage on listed real estate companies and REITs in the Asia Pacific region, such as Japan, Hong Kong, and China. Outside of generating investment ideas, providing support to achieve our team’s business development goals is also an important part of the job. This involves sharing our market outlooks, presenting performance drivers, and describing our investment process to existing and prospective clients.
Having to navigate regionally and across multiple time zones is not an easy feat! While BlackRock is a truly global firm that can offer diverse experiences, this also means having to adapt to other time zones and making the effort to understand investment ideas outside of one’s own comfort zones. Being passionate about my job helps me overcome what would otherwise be a much bigger challenge.
BlackRock’s stature and global standing as one of the preeminent asset management firms definitely helps to open doors. The firm is not only taken seriously as a thought leader within the alternative investment community, but also helps to drive initiatives such as ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and sustainability, thereby helping to bring these important issues to the fore.
Apart from professional qualifications, what often enables candidates to stand out are diverse experiences and interests that go beyond the traditional investing remit. These individuals tend to have well-rounded and balanced perspectives that help them think outside the box.
Within our real assets securities team as well as the wider firm, we value candidates who are team-oriented, open-minded, and who have the intellectual curiosity to pursue ideas that are outside of consensus (even if conventional wisdom dictates otherwise).
Our Singapore office is extremely diverse and multinational. People come from many different cultures and we often interact cross divisionally as well. The Singapore office is a great example of the value and benefits of diversity and inclusion.
In addition, there are many initiatives that are designed locally to help guide junior colleagues as they develop their careers within the firm. Within the Singapore office, we have many networks that help to establish one’s presence within the BlackRock family and these have been invaluable in helping colleagues to work together in cross-divisional initiatives and form closer relationships.
Staying humble and hungry have always been key beliefs that I’ve strived towards in my professional career. These have allowed me to always stay grounded and remember that I have a lot still yet to learn.
In addition, I have found it important to stay flexible by adapting quickly to situations as they arise. Making mistakes is an inevitable part of our professional journey. However, it is through learning from them that I have grown in my career.
It is truly the learning process and the positive attitude that we subsequently adopt that will bring you forward.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
When looking for a company to start to grow your career, it’s essential to take a holistic look at all they have to offer. Do they help with career development? Are there opportunities to connect with other employees? These are just a few of the questions to consider when selecting your dream company.
One fintech company that emphasizes the importance of career development and networking is BlackRock. At BlackRock, employees are given plenty of opportunities to network, develop professionally, and celebrate diversity through employee networks. Employee networks are spaces where employees with shared interests and/or backgrounds come together regularly for discussions, volunteer opportunities, and networking.
To get a deeper understanding of what BlackRock’s employee networks have to offer, we spoke to five early-career Analysts about their experiences. Here’s what they had to say.
What initially drew Jonathan Pizano to BlackRock was the company’s mission to help people experience financial well-being, which is very important to him.
Jonathan shared with us that his parents immigrated from Mexico in hopes of building a better future for his family. “They sacrificed a lot for me to be here, so it was refreshing to see that a company like BlackRock had a purpose that aligned with my family’s journey for something better,” shared Jonathan.
In the summer of his Junior year at Washington University in St. Louis, Jonathan participated in BlackRock’s Summer Analyst Program. During his internship, Jonathan got involved with as many employee network events as his capacity would allow. Taking initiative, Jonathan collaborated with a fellow Summer Analyst to plan a networking event for his internship cohort aimed at connecting with the SOMOS Latinx Professionals and Allies Network (SLN) at BlackRock.
After a meaningful summer experience, Jonathan knew that he wanted to return to BlackRock upon graduation. Today Jonathan is a part of the Americas Client Onboarding team, working as a Portfolio Implementations Analyst. In his position, he directs stakeholders during new portfolio launches and changes to existing portfolios to ensure an accurate and efficient delivery for BlackRock’s clients.
Outside of his role, Jonathan is also a member of SLN, the San Francisco Analyst Impact Committee, Analyst Alley, and the Black Professionals and Allies Network (BPN). Through his involvement in these employee networks, he’s had the opportunity to learn more about the firm and forge strong mentorships across departments.
With an Economics major and Accounting minor, Jonathan’s advice for students looking for their first job out of college is, “Don’t limit your career opportunities simply because your academic or professional background does not align with what might be perceived as the traditional resume for that role.”
When Rachel Dai first heard about BlackRock, she wasn’t sure she’d be a good fit for the financial services firm.
Thankfully, Rachel still applied and was selected for the Summer Analyst Program in 2018 when she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Now two years into her tenure at BlackRock, Rachel is on the Global Marketing team. She concentrates on brand initiatives that have a global and firm-wide impact and drives innovation by helping the marketing department adopt the latest marketing practices in content, digital, and experiential development. Her team also helps all parts of the BlackRock organization solve marketing strategy problems by interfacing with each region and channel to coordinate, document, synthesize, and communicate firm priorities.
When Rachel isn’t working on her marketing skills, she’s co-leading BlackRock’s New York chapter of Analyst Alley, where she helps create and host social and professional events for Analysts. Rachel is also Global Co-chair of Events and Social Impact for the Asian & Middle Eastern Professionals & Allies Network (AMP), helping organize programming and engagement to ensure that the community feels seen, heard, and valued.
When asked what she likes the most about working at BlackRock, Rachel said, “I appreciate that everyone at BlackRock has a voice – and has their own platform and way to utilize and amplify it … Whether it’s related to work or extracurriculars, everyone’s opinion matters and holds weight, making it a great place to feel acknowledged and valued.”
Her advice for students interested in joining BlackRock is, “Try to understand your personal ‘why,’ BlackRock’s ‘why’ and role in society, and highlight the connection between them.” She explained that doing so will help you create a memorable experience for both yourself and the interviewer.
In college, Kathleen Burkhardt was one of very few women in her engineering track. Now at BlackRock, she connects with many talented women in tech, product management, and finance.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Alumnus Kathleen first started her journey at BlackRock as an intern in the Summer Analyst Program. After graduating, she returned to BlackRock and started her full-time career as an Analyst, where she rotated through three teams before joining the UX Engineering team.
Since joining the BlackRock community, Kathleen has been an active participant in a wide variety of employee networks, including Analyst Alley, Abilities & Allies Network (ABN), Out & Allies Network (OUT), Women’s Initiative & Allies Network (WIN), and Women in Tech (WIT). Through her involvement in these groups, Kathleen has found support in the WOMYN+ Mentorship Program organized by OUT.
One of the most meaningful events Kathleen has attended through BlackRock’s employee networks was the Lesbians Who Tech New York Summit. At the event, Gloria Steinem, Jen Wong, and many other influential figures in tech and business gave speeches. While attending, Kathleen was able to connect with LGBTQ+ women from BlackRock and other companies. “I am proud of the connections I’ve been able to make and the ability to bring my full self to work through the Out & Allies Network,” said Kathleen.
Kathleen’s advice to students interested in a career at BlackRock is not to be intimidated if you don’t have a finance or business background and to use your interview to highlight your technical abilities.
Villanova alumnus, Zainab Oyawoye, knew two things her junior year: she wanted to work in finance, and she wanted to do so at a firm that prioritized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
That’s when she found BlackRock’s Founders Scholarship Program, which aims to bring diverse talent to the firm. After completing the Summer Analyst program, Zainab chose to return to the firm full-time after graduation. Today, Zainab works in iShares, the firm’s Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) business.
Through BPN and WIN, Zainab has met colleagues from various teams and fields across the firm. She believes that she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet such a wide range of employees, gain perspective about the firm, and receive invaluable career advice without these networks.
One event that has been particularly impactful for Zainab was BPN’s Black History Month panel of senior Black professionals. She explained that the panelists had an honest dialogue about their different career paths and the hurdles they had to overcome along the way. “This event was especially meaningful to me because I believe representation is extremely important. Hearing the success stories of these senior leaders who look like me was extremely inspiring and motivating,” shared Zainab.
Her advice for students interested in a career at BlackRock is to stand out in the application process by highlighting ways you have been innovative in the classroom and beyond. She also says to be yourself and let your personality shine through in the interview process.
Just one year into his career at BlackRock, Auston Kennedy has found his footing in his career and surpassed his expectations.
Auston first heard about BlackRock while studying industrial and systems engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT). After one of his friends introduced him to the company, he participated in a program that exposed GT students to the firm. He left the program impressed and interested in joining BlackRock full-time.
Now, he’s on BlackRock’s Aladdin Client Services team, which he describes as both a hard-working and supportive environment. In his role, Auston provides application support to users of BlackRock’s proprietary investment management software Aladdin. Thus far, his favorite project on the team has been helping set up $1.8 billion in new funds for a client.
Until now, Auston has participated in BPN and the Green Team Network (GTN), a network for employees interested in sustainability and environmentalism. Auston attributes the firm’s resource groups and professional development to providing him an incredible number of opportunities to strengthen his understanding of finance through online classes and talks given by investment professionals.
Auston’s advice for students interested in working at BlackRock is to show a desire to learn constantly and be willing to be uncomfortable.
Why you should consider working at BlackRock
At BlackRock, employees are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work and have access to networks and opportunities that help advance their careers. BlackRock aims to create better financial futures for their clients, and they want to hire people who also believe in this purpose. If you think that BlackRock might be a good fit for you, click here to learn more about their early-career opportunities.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Waqar-un-nisa Nabi wasn’t planning to take a technology job in financial services, but the summer she spent interning at BlackRock in London changed her mind.
Nabi was initially skeptical after she heard about the internship opportunity at BlackRock, the multinational FinTech firm. “As a student, I was only really interested in working for a tech company. I thought that a tech team in a financial institution would be full of people in suits,” says Nabi, who has now been working full-time at BlackRock for about three years. “I soon found out that this isn’t the case. BlackRock doesn’t feel like a traditional finance company; it feels inclusive and more like a tech firm,” she adds.
When Nabi graduated from the University of Glasgow with an MSc in Computing Science in 2018, she didn’t hesitate to accept a position at BlackRock as a software engineer. “I could clearly see from the tasks that the other interns and I had been doing that there’s a huge variety of technology work on offer at BlackRock. I thought that boded well for my future career. I made a lot of friends during the internship too, and I wanted to continue to be part of that welcoming culture,” says Nabi.
Technology professionals don’t need to have a financial services background to get a job at BlackRock, says Nabi, who is based in Edinburgh. Soon after she joined the firm, Nabi’s manager set aside an hour a day to explain the finance side of the company and the type of data the firm analyses when looking to invest. “It’s been fascinating to learn about a new industry, and be supported in doing so, as I also expand my tech skills,” she adds.
Technologists at BlackRock “aren’t treated like we’re in a support function”, says Nabi. “If you think you’ll come here and end up writing a lot of scripts in the back office without much visibility across the company, the reality is very different to what you’re imagining. I’ve found the atmosphere to be caring and fun, and still very professional. There’s a business-focused, start-up vibe here,” she adds.
Nabi rotated across four units within BlackRock when she graduated, including doing a stint in a team focused on Aladdin, an investment platform developed in-house by BlackRock to create an end-to-end operating system for investment professionals. “That experience showed me just how important technology is to this company. It’s far more than support; we actually design products like Aladdin that generate income in their own right,” says Nabi. “The Aladdin team is very dynamic. I learned the Go programming language, and gained technical knowledge in new areas, such as protocol buffers,” she adds.
Nabi also worked in the Data and AI team during her rotation and decided to join it as a permanent staff member at the end of her traineeship. She further expanded her skills in this role, learning about Python and cloud development on the technology side, and about stocks and bonds on the finance front. “I loved this team, so I ended up staying in it. We switch projects a lot and get to assume plenty of ownership over what we do, which has been great for my career development. I was initially focused on a project where I expanded existing quality control, and moved onto a new project to onboard similar quality control methodology as one of the quality control leads,” says Nabi.
In January this year, Nabi told her manager that she’d like to take on more project management responsibilities in her role. He put the word out and within just a month Nabi’s job changed to one involving about 40% project management and 60% coding. “I enjoy writing code, but it felt like something was missing, so this was a natural next step for me. I take more of a high-level approach now, and I get more involved in planning strategy and coordinating with other teams” she explains. “I think my new role helps to show BlackRock’s commitment to the career advancement of its female tech talent,” she adds.
Nabi says she also enjoys working at BlackRock because her colleagues come from diverse backgrounds and because the company is committed to supporting diversity and inclusion within its workforce. “In technology, it’s really important to hire a diverse group of people because they will have learned different things and will have different outlooks on solving problems. For example, I have a super creative colleague who studied art at university, so she’s naturally amazing at UI design. But her way of thinking is also useful in quality testing because she comes up with innovative suggestions for ways code might potentially break,” says Nabi.
Employee diversity is key to creating an inclusive workplace culture that encourages women and people from minority backgrounds to join BlackRock, says Nabi. “There’s a real bond between people on my team, and we enjoy each other’s company socially. In terms of age, for example, we have interns, new grads and people who’ve been here for 20 years or more – and that makes the environment more fun. It wouldn’t be so enjoyable to work here if everyone came from a similar background,” she adds.
To succeed as a technology professional at BlackRock, Nabi says you need to be “flexible and dynamic”. Some jobs require the ability to adapt and learn new programming languages, for example. “Having good communication skills is also vital in a large and global firm like BlackRock, where there are plenty of different projects going on,” says Nabi. “And I think it’s important to have patience. When I first started here and was struggling with a coding problem, my managers showed a great deal of patience. They gave me examples to train me in a no-stress environment, so I was able to get up to speed more effectively,” she says.
Nabi wants to keep growing her career at BlackRock, and to further her ability to combine coding with project management work. “And I’d like to work on even larger projects,” she adds. “As a woman in tech, there are many advantages of building a career here. You get to work alongside a fantastic and diverse bunch of people, and on the technical front, you won’t get stuck working on legacy code because there are so many opportunities to work with newer languages on cutting-edge projects. One thing’s for sure: you won’t get bored.”
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
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“The world has changed pretty dramatically over the past 40 years.” I nod in response, staring into the 13-inch laptop screen that’s perched atop some stacked cookbooks on my kitchen counter. As her words sink in, I think about the change we’ve seen in the past year alone. Since the start of the pandemic, nothing about the working world feels the same. Except, as Barbara is quick to point out, the need for human connection and support.
Barbara Novick, a BlackRock founder and senior advisor, believes that having the right support system is the not-so-secret ingredient for a long, successful career. It’s a theory she’s cultivated over decades of personal experiences and the experiences of her mentees.
“When I started working, there were zero women in senior positions at any of the financial firms,” she tells me. “That was true of a lot of fields. Today, when you look across industries, women have broken through.” Images of Kamala Harris, Janet Yellen, Jane Fraser, Roz Brewer, Thasunda Brown Duckett, and others carousel through my mind.
At the same time, though, headlines swirl around the negative impact that working from home has had on women. In fact, McKinsey research found that 1 in 4 women plan to leave the workforce because of the pandemic.
These highs and lows are difficult to reconcile.
Barbara raises another nuance. “Gone are the glory days of being a pioneer,” she tells me, underscoring the importance of representation. “Anyone starting a career today, or changing jobs mid-career, is going to look at their prospective company and say, ‘Is there anyone here who looks and thinks and acts and feels like me?’ It’s about all dimensions of a person’s identity.”
“For companies, it’s both a challenge and an opportunity,” she continues. “Social distancing has made it harder to focus on career development and network building, while society demands more serious attention be paid to the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion. Going forward, companies that get this right will attract and retain the best talent.” And that’s when we get to the meat of it: the importance of mentorship in a post-pandemic world.
“Investing in yourself is critical. At home, maybe that means getting support from a partner, family member, or friend. Or perhaps it looks like hiring outside help, if you have the means. At work, it’s no different. You need a support system. That’s what mentors are designed to be, and ideally, they turn into sponsors, given time and opportunity.”
By this point in the interview, Barbara’s in full coaching mode. She’s getting tactical, sharing stories and experiences on both sides of the mentorship coin – lessons learned (sometimes the hard way) and passed on to others. After the call, in parsing back through my notes, I realize I have a veritable treasure trove: a list of do’s and don’ts for successful mentorship:
“You’re not doing anyone any favors by letting them repeat the same mistake. It’s hard to do, but mentors should give more honest feedback. If you’re going to have an open relationship, you must be willing to give both the good and the bad. And, in my experience, mentees are appreciative in the end. I’ve had people send me notes years later in their career saying that, while they didn’t necessarily like it in the moment, the honest feedback made them better and ultimately advanced their career. As a mentor, that’s the optimal outcome.”
“You have to come to me with a business challenge you’re trying to solve, or an area of your career you’re trying to develop – something,” says Barbara. “I don’t want to have a frivolous coffee chat; but I do want to engage you in a substantive conversation. You can take my input or not, but the process leads somewhere. All that natural mentoring grows into having a relationship.”
“I once took a chance on a woman with a non-traditional background who, in short order, proved to everyone that she was a superstar. She worked for me for years. Then one day she came to me and said she was ready to try something different. Of course, I was sad to see her move – I enjoyed working with her. But I recognized she was right. She was at the point where she needed a new challenge. And that meant she needed me to take on a new role in our relationship. She needed me to go from being her boss and mentor, to being her sponsor, and I was happy to see her find that next opportunity. If you want to build long-lasting relationships, you have to let them evolve with time.”
“I tell the people I work with that they can tell me anything they want. They can tell me when something is going wrong or an idea is bad. But they have to come to the table with alternatives. Saying ‘I have a problem,’ and then leaving doesn’t cut it. But coming in, having a discussion and then working through it together – that’s a collaborative process. That’s the kind of mentorship that people want to have in their work lives.”
“It only gets harder with time. As your network expands and your list of mentors and mentees grows, those you interact with on a regular basis diminish. And then there’s the pandemic, which has made it harder to carve out time for regular catch ups, throwing a lot of relationships through a loop.
As the pandemic subsides in different parts of the world, though, we all need to find ways to reconnect. Now might be the perfect time to take a proactive approach to mentoring and networking more broadly.
Ultimately, it comes down to three things: time management, prioritization and keeping an open mind. If you can manage those things, your relationships will thrive in any environment.”
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Sulagna Sen has always been passionate about coding—so it was only natural for her to pursue a degree in information technology. As a college student, she completed two internships focused on front-end development before being recruited by BlackRock’s Gurgaon office as an intern right out of school. And she’s been at the global investment firm ever since.
Today, Sen is a software developer in the Mumbai office, where she has a unique opportunity to work with the vast amount of data that BlackRock manages. “I learn every day here. I continue to take up new challenges and enhance my skills and grow personally,” says Sen, who is now part of the Production Operations team that makes sure BlackRock’s core systems are running smoothly.
We asked Sen why she opted for a non-traditional tech path, what skills a developer needs to succeed, and how women can break into male-dominated fields.
The best thing about tech is it is never stagnant. New innovation and ideas are always around the corner. There is a lot to explore in this broad spectrum. Problem solving and algorithms have always fascinated me and BlackRock encourages us to challenge the status quo.
Despite being a comparatively young organization, BlackRock has managed to become the world’s leading global investor in the span of merely 30 years. I chose BlackRock over a traditional tech company because of the vastness of data being managed and the fact that it provides its own application suite to clients in the form of Aladdin. Plus, BlackRock delivers stability and resilience.
My responsibilities are very broad since the Production Operations team manages the day-to-day operations of core systems and focuses on ensuring a fully stable, scalable, and cost-efficient infrastructure across all the systems supported by the Aladdin Product Group. I am also a part of the development and automation function, which drives operational efficiency by designing and developing administrative tools that facilitate configuration management for all Aladdin clients.
Currently, I am working on the automation of an in-house application that is used by core business teams. It involves technologies like Java and Angular. We ensure even trivial matters are addressed and deliver an end-to-end solution.
What I find most exciting at work is the cooperation and collaboration of my colleagues.
I have always followed my passion and did not let stereotypes affect me. BlackRock’s culture of diversity and inclusion has also played a major role. I have always felt included in the achievements of my team, and have been equally responsible for roadblocks, for that matter. I ensure I deliver my best and never consider myself less competent than my male counterparts.
All ideas count! Make yourself heard among your peers. Innovation and a focus-driven approach are highly celebrated at BlackRock. The tech stack here is vast, and one can explore one’s skills and work on their long-term goals.
An inquisitive mind and good problem-solving skills are all you need.
The Mumbai office is relatively new. The culture here is very friendly and motivating. I get a true sense of the One BlackRock principle among my colleagues here. The environment is inclusive and as far as I know, around 30% of the employees in the Mumbai office are female, which is a good proportion compared to many other offices.
Look at the broader picture, beyond gender disparities and social myths. Software is an evolving industry, and there are many female leaders emerging. Focus on being proactive and confident in your work. Network with other women in the field, understand the industry, and choose your employer wisely!
Do not feel intimidated by external factors, and instead focus on your willingness to grow. Sheer talent and hard work are what can get you through everything and help you break all norms and stereotypes. Make sure to seize every opportunity that resonates with you.
My advice would be to let your passion drive you.
This article was originally published on The Muse.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Human Resources is where responsibility for people and culture lies, and where I have the opportunity to make a difference at BlackRock. Learn how the Talent Acquisition function within HR was able to pivot during the pandemic and work with an esteemed diversity organization to bring value to employees.
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The world we live in is rapidly changing, and for BlackRock to maintain a competitive advantage, we must grow and change with it. From our processes to our people, we continue to challenge ourselves by reexamining internal and external business practices to grow our firm. We rely on data to help drive business decisions, and most importantly, we don’t assume we know everything or have every answer.
We are innovators. In talent acquisition, that means constantly reinventing how we attract, engage, assess, hire and onboard talent. One way we do this is through external partnerships, which have been a significant catalyst for growth. They provide market insights to help inform our recruiting, platforms for us to engage with their membership, professional development opportunities for BlackRock employees, and access to talented candidates. They are instrumental in our engagement with diverse talent in niche businesses. And beyond being advocates for diversity themselves, they understand BlackRock’s principles and commitment to inclusion and diversity. These qualities make for great partners and serve as criteria for us when we seek to partner with new organizations.
The Robert Toigo Foundation, more commonly referred to as ‘The Toigo Foundation’ or simply ‘Toigo,’ meets all of our criteria. This organization’s mission is to “transform the performance of forward-thinking organizations through education and strategies that drive greater inclusion and the ongoing development and promotion of exceptional diverse leaders.” Their target audience and membership come from underrepresented demographics within finance: from corporations to entrepreneurship, and from post-graduate MBAs to senior professionals and executive management.
In other words, Toigo brings together institutions and individuals to facilitate a more diverse, inclusive and profitable future for all stakeholders. And BlackRock has proudly worked with this organization for more than 15 years, having built a long-lasting relationship that started in 2004.
Since partnering, we’ve have had the privilege of sponsoring and providing speakers for conferences and events, championing their Women in Leadership initiatives, recruiting experienced professionals from their network, and relying on them as a resource to support diverse professionals at our firm.
“In contrast to many other Wall Street firms, BlackRock continues to be an active proponent of inclusion and diversity – not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because the firm’s leadership recognizes that incorporating diverse talent produces superior results. BlackRock’s continued support of Toigo – in being an active sponsor and patron, encouraging staff to attend its events, and hiring its alumni – make me proud, as both an employee and former Toigo fellow.”
William Im, Vice President, Opportunistic Credit
In 2020, COVID-19 changed all our lives. It pushed BlackRock into a hiring pause and forced us to find new, creative ways to meet business gaps and partner with external organizations. Toigo was able to align with our shift to focus on internal talent. We worked with them to host two professional development workshops: Managing Visibility with Dr. Stacy Blake-Beard and The Future You with Joanna Bloor. Managing Visibility helped employees learn how to strike a balance between blending in and standing out and gain awareness around how we are perceived by others. Participants then developed a personal profile that balances their “internal” and “external” personas. The Future You motivated employees to take agency over how they talk about themselves and communicate their unique value proposition to peers and managers, and how to balance both their expertise and experience with future-focused potential.
Both workshops were designed to be interactive and introspective, helping BlackRock employees uncover or further develop skills they need to be successful in their roles.
In 2021, COVID-19 will continue to challenge us. Still, we will be resilient in the face adversity and find more ways to invest in our employees through innovative partnerships with organizations like Toigo.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
Learn about this entrepreneur's BlackRock career journey from Program Analyst to Associate.
Spoiler alert! It was a great success.
Learn how Simone White, a BlackRock Administrative Professional, is working to evolve the preconception of APs at the firm and everywhere.
Learn how Nenad, a software engineer based in BlackRock's Belgrade office, champions financial education in his community.
BlackRock is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer in compliance with the U.S. federal contractor program. We are committed to equal employment opportunity to all applicants and existing employees, and we evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity/expression), sexual orientation, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religion, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. View the EEOC’s Know Your Rights poster and its supplement and the pay transparency statement.
BlackRock is committed to full inclusion of all qualified individuals and to providing reasonable accommodations or job modifications for individuals with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation/adjustments are needed throughout the employment process, please email Disability.Assistance@blackrock.com. All requests are treated in line with our privacy policy.
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