In honor of Women’s History Month, we interviewed leaders and trailblazers of the WIN (Women In Nasdaq) network, discussing their roles, diverse backgrounds, and what it means to be a role model for young women looking to pursue a career in business, tech or finance. We spoke with Lauren (Elkin) Wajda, Director, IR Intelligence at Nasdaq.
What does a day in your role look like at Nasdaq?
I am a Director in our IR Intelligence group overseeing clients across the Technology and Communications sectors. As a manager, I oversee a team of eight analysts in various geographic locations, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Toronto. Our team is growing, so a big part of my role is developing new hires along with cultivating relationships with new clients and engaging with our long-term partners.
As both a player and coach, I also manage a direct book of clients, some of which I’ve been working with since I started about 16 years ago. At a high level, we partner with corporate issuers to help with the IR workflow and engagement strategy. There are several events throughout the year, as well as the lifecycle of being a public company, and we support our clients throughout, often out of the gate at Day 1 on IPO.
Since we are closely tied to the markets and every IR team has a unique set of goals, every day is different. To give some examples, on days of market volatility, I am focused on helping my clients understand key drivers and how trading in their stock might be impacted. During major IR events, including earnings, we provide insight into analyst expectations and stock reaction. For a newly public company that is reporting to the Board for the first time, we provide best practices for IR slides. Additionally, my role is cross-functional, so I work with the marketing team on thought leadership, the product team on technology enhancements and the sales team on new opportunities.
We recently conducted a global IR survey and polled 455 IR professionals. A key focus for IR teams in 2021 is targeting new investors, and one of the biggest challenges IR teams face is attracting generalist capital. While we have a dedicated team focused on engagement strategy, my job in Advisory is to help our clients navigate the buy-side landscape, keep a pulse on who the players are, and measure IR effectiveness by understanding real-time ownership changes between public filings.
Tell us about a campaign you’ve led that you were especially proud of.
Nasdaq has a strong customer and client-centric focus. There are several solutions within IR Intelligence, from services to our platform, and often times as a client, your Nasdaq Account team is made up of numerous touch-points. I worked with key stakeholders to identify areas of opportunity to ensure a consistent approach to onboarding new clients and providing a positive Day 1 experience. It’s truly integral in laying the groundwork for building strategic partnerships. We outlined internal procedures and developed materials from a new client questionnaire that provides relevant background in finding the right client/analyst fit to developing check-in plans with clients to touch base and ensure the Nasdaq team is aligned to meet their needs.
What is so special and unique about working at Nasdaq?
I love the reaction I get when people ask me what I do and where I work. Their eyebrows raise a bit, and eyes open a little wider with a face that reads ‘Wow. That’s cool.’ It reinforces how proud I am to work at such a well-respected company like Nasdaq. From exposure to senior management to all of the employee networks, Nasdaq makes you feel a part of a community rather than an employee at a global company.
The people in this Nasdaq community are amazing and talented. Not only do I learn every day from them, but I have also built friendships that I view as invaluable.
What is your advice for young women looking to pursue a career in Tech and Business?
Business and Technology continue to rapidly evolve every day. As a result, new unique roles continue to develop outside of the traditional career paths that you often think of in these fields. Talk to people. Network. Ask questions. Find out what is out there and what interests you.
Another piece of advice to women starting their career is advice that I continue to tell myself. Seek out opportunities for change and get out of your comfort zone. Often we want to feel more prepared before raising our hand, but if you always take that approach, you might be on the sidelines prepping forever. Change = growth. Instinctively raise your hand when that opportunity comes up, embrace the uncomfortable feeling, and feel confident in the fact that you are going to grow with the experience.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Other Topics
Diversity & Inclusion Culture
Elizabeth Glusko
Nasdaq
Elizabeth is a social media editor, strategist and producer at Nasdaq. Her team helps reimagine the way Nasdaq tells stories about Nasdaq’s role in the future of technology and the employees driving this role via video and social content.
Read Elizabeth's Bio