Employee Spotlight: Maria, Global Sales Manager for Hedge Funds, ETFs and LATAM

Our employee spotlight series highlights our people spanning many different roles, teams and geographies—each with a unique perspective to share. We sat down with Maria, who's based in NYC and leads sales for Hedge Funds, ETFs and LATAM, to learn more about her experience at MarketAxess and what motivates her.

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What's your role at MarketAxess?

I lead the dedicated global Hedge Fund and ETF sales team, and as of last year, I also started running the LATAM sales team. The effort of the two teams is quite different, but both areas are focused on bringing in new business and growing our presence in the distinct client segments. I love the challenge! My role has evolved over the 11 years I have been at MarketAxess from all different kinds of sales coverage and focus - which has kept my entrepreneurial spirit alive, and I'm always learning something new!

What is your proudest moment while working at MarketAxess?

Being in sales requires thorough work daily with some disappointments and a lengthy process of bringing in clients. But it carries many rewarding moments, as we change clients' behavior towards the efficiency of trading on MarketAxess - along with meeting interesting people in our industry. Changing behavior and generating wins for the company has given me many proud moments of accomplishment!

However, my proudest moment was when I was invited to dinner with Rob Kapito (BlackRock's president and a founder), Richie Prager (BlackRock’s former global head of trading, liquidity and investments platform, and now a MarketAxess board member), and the entire fixed income management team at BlackRock, in addition to our senior management. The dinner was to celebrate our successful fundraiser donation to the American Cancer Society and Hopes for Heroes gala, where I helped Rick, our CEO, raise a significant donation to the two great causes, coming from our clients, staff and friends.

How would you describe our culture?

It literally has a "fire in the belly". It never stops, it wants it all...just like me! I never stop, I want it all, and I insist I get it, especially from clients. Above all, the culture is collaborative and it really feels like we're all in this together. When we could visit clients in person, anyone from senior management down to the analysts would be ready to help and join the meeting to achieve our common goal. This still happens now virtually.

When was a time that you felt like a changemaker?

With Cordelia's (our former head of HR) leadership, we put together a fundraiser to help build homes for the people most affected by the two devastating earthquakes in Mexico during 2018. It was incredibly rewarding to unite and create awareness within MarketAxess staff and our clients for a mission that not only gave homes to those who needed them desperately, but also created sustainability and employment in the communities we selected.

What cause matters to you?

I am passionate about mentorship and inclusion for minorities and love the community work that MarketAxess has started to do in the space. Being Latina, I am convinced that without mentorship from my older sister throughout the critical years that led me to attend college at UT Austin, I would not be where I am now! I believe that student and professional capacity starts very young, thus inclusion efforts for the Latinx and Black communities should start young.

What is the best advice you ever received?

One of my elementary school teachers in Mexico City taught me this saying and it's always stuck with me: "Start by doing what's necessary, then do what's possible, and suddenly you will be doing the impossible!"

What are you most proud of?

My trajectory having a beautiful family on top of running Hedge Fund, ETF and LATAM sales at MarketAxess. From growing up in a tiny apartment in Mexico City to where I am now, I have come a long way and feel that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be.

What is something you wish people knew about working at MarketAxess?

This is an exceptionally successful S&P 500 company; however, inside it has an entrepreneurial culture where everyone's contribution matters distinctly. Our visionary management are always tuned not only to driving growth and earnings results, but to the health of our corporate culture.

Want to work with Maria at MarketAxess? Explore our available opportunities here.