Employee Spotlight: Q&A with Laura Messchendorp

Financial Writer, Marketing

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Feb 2022

    I love the collaboration between different departments and the chance to work on a wide variety of content projects.

    What are you responsible for at Preqin?

    I’m a financial writer, so I’m responsible for report and blog writing, managing client contributions, and running the investor and fund manager surveys. You can read one of my pieces on Preqin Insights here. Before Preqin, I was a financial journalist at a Financial Times specialist publication, spending a lot of time taking interviews and researching stories before pitching them. It’s been really interesting to switch gears toward working more from a client point of view and adapting my writing style accordingly.

     

     

    How would you describe a day at Preqin?

    I start the day by checking my emails and Asana (our project management system), to see if any questions have come in from clients or anything that’s urgent. After that, I usually divide my day into deep work tasks and shorter tasks. If I ruled the world, I would do all my writing in the morning and then spend the afternoon in meetings, working with clients and doing other tasks. But until that happens, I tend to block in time when I can, and often find I can focus well if there’s a tight deadline on a task! I like to make time for reading and learning as well, and I subscribe to way too many newsletters to try and keep on top of everything that’s happening outside of Preqin and finance.

     

     

    How has your career progressed since you joined Preqin?

    I joined Preqin in April 2021, so at the moment I’m still increasing responsibilities in my role. I’ve moved from working on other people’s reports to leading my own. I'm currently leading the Women in Alternative Assets Report, which will also have a webinar with a panel discussion after the launch. Taking on more responsibility in general means delegating, and bringing people in on projects that I think they are suited to, which is something I really enjoy. Lastly, I’ve also been expanding my skill base by following courses offered by Preqin, such as the public speaking program run by our Talent Development team.  

     

     

    Which achievement are you most proud of?

    Getting to grips with all the different asset classes and sectors that we cover at Preqin, and seeing how my data skills and writing have improved over time. I’m also definitely proud of my part in the webinars (which are expertly run by our Events team) – it’s always tough to present to a live audience and see how they respond! I’m also quite proud of how I’ve pivoted from journalism and adapted my writing style in line with Preqin’s voice, which differs depending on the content we’re working on. Writing a report, working on a client contribution, and thinking about social media are all very different and all fall within one job description here!

     

     

    What advice would you give to someone who’s interested in learning about FinTech?

    Preqin Academy of course, and there’s loads of stuff on YouTube that’s worth watching! It’s really important to read up on industry trends and news in the sector, so I make sure to keep track of what the FT, the Economist and the Wall Street Journal are writing about. There’s also so much expertise at Preqin that I learn just from talking to others. My manager and I usually end up discussing current affairs, as there is almost always a financial impact from whatever is happening in the world. That’s one of the things I really like about working here too, that there’s space for wider discussion, which I think improves our writing and other work as well.

     

     

    What’s your favorite thing about working at Preqin?

    First of all, the knowledgeable people and the atmosphere here. I love the collaboration between different departments and the chance to work on a variety of projects. I also really appreciated the flexibility I've been given to fill my role with work I want to do, and to find ways to develop my skills to suit that. But absolutely nothing can beat the puppies from Paws at Work!

     


     

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    To learn more about our company and culture, go back to the main Careers page.

    To learn more about the alternatives industry, discover the lessons on Preqin Academy.