Employee Spotlight: Colleen Stapleton, Business Development, MarketAxess Post-Trade Repo, New York
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Our employee spotlight series highlights our people spanning many different roles, teams and geographies—each with a unique perspective to share. Colleen works on our Post-Trade team in NYC and is tasked with expanding our Repo matching platform in the US, plus working with our clients to increase their post-trade automation. Her passion for her work and the excitement she gets from seeing its impact comes through loud and clear...read on to see how!
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What is your role at MarketAxess?
I have been with MarketAxess for 2 years and have been in charge of the US expansion of our Repo matching platform (FYI: you can read up on what Post-Trade Repo is here). In addition, I work very closely with clients, new and old, to increase their post-trade automation and discuss additional opportunities for MarketAxess Repo across the value chain.
How did you come to MarketAxess?
I was approached by MarketAxess Post-Trade to help build out our Repo matching platform for the US market. I had been working on a strategic client service team at JPMorgan working to improve the client experience through automation, when MarketAxess offered me a role to practice what I preach. It was the perfect time for a career move and I couldn't be happier.
What is your favorite part about your job?
Every day is something different: a new problem to solve, people to meet, boundaries to push. I have been moved out of my comfort zone more times in the last 2 years at MarketAxess than in the prior 10 years of my career, and I consider that to be a great thing.
What is your proudest moment working at MarketAxess?
My proudest moments have been watching our Repo US client volume grow quarter over quarter. We have seen +300% increase in matched trades over the last 2 years and expect this to continue as our dealer community continues to grow and allows for greater scale and STP (Straight-Through Processing).
What keeps you working at MarketAxess?
Our people and problem solving for clients. I really enjoy how creative and collaborative our teams are. I am surrounded by supportive, encouraging, and incredibly intelligent teammates that I get to work with and learn from every day.
Also, I love helping our clients. I geek out over raising STP rates. Working hand in hand to tweak this and that and watching match rates climb is my own little nerdy slice of heaven.
What are your goals for your area of the business over the next 12 months?
I’d like to grow our global community of Repo matching enthusiasts to over 100 firms with T0 match rates north of 90%. To do this, we will continue to build relationships across the Repo market as well as establish meaningful partnerships that bring our trade matching skill and expertise to a wider network of repo trading, OMS, and settlement platforms.
How would you describe our culture?
Inclusive and supportive. I am a Mom with 3 kids under 5 years old and the understanding my manager and team have had over the last 2 years of COVID has been incredible. The work had to be done, no question, but the hours had to shift every once in a while. The support and encouragement from the top down in our organization was a lifesaver.
What are you passionate about?
Gender equality and championing causes and initiatives that lift women up, support and protect mothers and push back on the 'double shift'. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, which has had a disproportionate impact on women, mothers and caregivers.
What makes someone working at MarketAxess successful?
A successful MarketAxess employee is driven, passionate and outspoken in all the right ways.
Want to work with Colleen at MarketAxess? Explore our available opportunities here.
