Preeti Yadav, Senior Quantitative Analyst at IntelligentCross, won a Rising Star Award at Markets Media Group’s 2024 Women in Finance Awards. 

What does winning the Rising Star award mean to you personally and professionally?

Winning this award is both humbling and exciting. It validates my decision to transition from business analytics to quantitative finance—a daunting but rewarding leap of faith. This recognition is not just a personal milestone, it is also a testament to the incredible collaboration and support of my team at Imperative Execution, whose efforts make everything possible.

I want to thank my family and professors for their encouragement throughout my journey, and Markets Media for this incredible honor. The ceremony was particularly special, bringing together so many inspiring women in finance. I felt privileged to be among such accomplished individuals. Their achievements remind us of the progress women continue to make in this industry.

Professionally, this award reflects the impact our team has made in navigating and contributing to a complex market landscape. It motivates me to keep pushing boundaries, finding innovative solutions, and striving for even greater impact as I advance in my career.

How do you approach learning and growing in such a competitive industry?

I believe that learning must go beyond understanding financial concepts. It’s equally important to develop technical skills, like building reusable code and tools that streamline workflows. I’ve also focused on learning to design tools to monitor and validate model performance, ensuring our work remains robust and reliable over time.

Alongside academic papers, LinkedIn has been an invaluable resource, offering recent trends, research, and insights. It complements traditional learning channels by providing diverse perspectives and real-world applications.

Another essential aspect of growth is applying what I learn. Whenever my team or I come across something new, we actively discuss how it might enhance our current work. These discussions focus on the pros and cons of integrating new ideas, which fosters a healthy exchange that leads to better outcomes.

What role does collaboration play in achieving your professional goals?

Collaboration is crucial to creating well-rounded and effective solutions. Within the team, frequent discussions refine our approaches and ensure alignment with objectives. These internal collaborations foster a strong foundation of innovation and problem solving.

Engaging with other teams across the organization also enhances this process. Collaborating with Engineering introduces better coding standards and computational efficiencies, while insights from the Business Development team provide a broader understanding of subscriber needs and market dynamics. These perspectives often spark valuable discussions within my own team, helping to shape more well-rounded solutions.

This combination of internal and cross-team collaboration ensures that our work is robust, integrated into the broader environment, and aligned with both technical and real-world user requirements.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out their finance career?

As cliché as it may sound, learning doesn’t stop once you leave school. Curiosity and the willingness to ask questions are critical, especially when starting out. Many new professionals hesitate to ask questions fearing they’ll sound inexperienced, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Thoughtful questions show engagement and ensure goals are aligned, which your peers and seniors will appreciate.

Understanding complex models, mathematics, and technology is crucial, but don’t overlook the importance of communication – clear Excel sheets and well-crafted PowerPoint presentations. Simplifying complex ideas is a valuable skill that fosters productive discussions.

Finally, keep yourself updated on industry trends and connect with others in the field. Networking is invaluable—it helps you learn from others and exposes you to new ideas.