Coming from a high-growth startup environment, Valerie Bannert-Thurner said it was a bit daunting joining a large operation like Nasdaq. She wondered whether the company culture would complement her entrepreneurial spirit, but she was surprised to find an innovative and collaborative company.

“I was very impressed by how such a large company could be such a small company at the same time,” said Valerie, who runs the buy-side and sell-side solutions business for Market Technology at Nasdaq. “If we have a good idea or if we want to accomplish something and we want to mobilize the team to innovate, Nasdaq is massively supportive.”

Having worked at FTEN, a high-growth startup that was acquired by Nasdaq, Valerie knew first-hand how to a build a business – and “all the good, the bad and the ugly” that comes with it. And since joining Nasdaq, she said developed new skills centered on leadership, communication and teamwork.

“It's obviously massively thrilling especially when we have successes and innovations that we are all very proud of,” Valerie said. “But what I like about our team is we're not afraid to say, ‘OK, what's not working,’ and have a good heart-to-heart and say, ‘OK, how can we fix it and let’s do this together.’”

During her tenure, Nasdaq signed a landmark deal with the Istanbul Stock Exchange, Borsa Istanbul. With this deal, Nasdaq delivered its most advanced selection of market technology solutions and advisory services, positioning Borsa Istanbul to become an international hub that could attract global investors to the Eurasia region. As part of securing this transaction, Valerie got to know many people within the company, and “everybody across a number of different business units and corporate functions worked together enormously well to get the deal done.” 

With the Borsa Istanbul deal complete, Valerie is now focused on growing the technology business – meeting her  growth targets and making sure she has the necessary support to do so.

Today, Valerie spearheads Market Technology’s buy-and sell-group with a clear focus on delivering value through product innovation and service improvements. Since 2016, the SMARTS Trade Surveillance business has almost doubled in subscriptions and revenue, growth driven by early adoption of machine intelligence, new products and enhancements, as well as regulatory headwinds such as the Market Abuse Regulation. Valerie is also driving the entry into the buy-side, and her responsibilities have recently expanded to include execution platforms, risk platforms, reporting platforms and surveillance platforms for all buy- and sell-side customers of Nasdaq.  

“I was honored to be given responsibility for such an important and high potential business – we’re growing very quickly, and we have funding to innovate. I’m just very humbled to be working with such a great team that is working together to build our success.”