Adena Friedman

It's great to be here, Clark. Thank you so much. This is fantastic.

It's great to be here, Clark. Thank you so much. This is fantastic.

It's great to be here, Clark. Thank you so much. This is fantastic.

It is a fun story because I got so lucky. I mean, how often do you get to go and join a company right out of college or right out of university and then suddenly end up spending your whole career here? By the way, my father did that. So he also joined T. R. Price out of business school and spent his entire career there. So I did see that. I think that probably did influence me a little bit.

It is a fun story because I got so lucky. I mean, how often do you get to go and join a company right out of college or right out of university and then suddenly end up spending your whole career here? By the way, my father did that. So he also joined T. R. Price out of business school and spent his entire career there. So I did see that. I think that probably did influence me a little bit.

It is a fun story because I got so lucky. I mean, how often do you get to go and join a company right out of college or right out of university and then suddenly end up spending your whole career here? By the way, my father did that. So he also joined T. R. Price out of business school and spent his entire career there. So I did see that. I think that probably did influence me a little bit.

There you go. But I started as an intern because I wanted to be in the financial industry, but I wanted to be a product manager. When I was in business school, I loved product management, but I also liked finance. And I had this rare opportunity to become an intern at NASDAQ to write product plans for their trading products.

There you go. But I started as an intern because I wanted to be in the financial industry, but I wanted to be a product manager. When I was in business school, I loved product management, but I also liked finance. And I had this rare opportunity to become an intern at NASDAQ to write product plans for their trading products.

There you go. But I started as an intern because I wanted to be in the financial industry, but I wanted to be a product manager. When I was in business school, I loved product management, but I also liked finance. And I had this rare opportunity to become an intern at NASDAQ to write product plans for their trading products.

And Nasdaq was at an interesting time because they were owned by the National Association of Securities Dealers. So they were owned by a membership not-for-profit organization, but they were a for-profit business inside that shop.

And Nasdaq was at an interesting time because they were owned by the National Association of Securities Dealers. So they were owned by a membership not-for-profit organization, but they were a for-profit business inside that shop.

And Nasdaq was at an interesting time because they were owned by the National Association of Securities Dealers. So they were owned by a membership not-for-profit organization, but they were a for-profit business inside that shop.

So they were trying to figure out, how do we build commercial muscles around these trading products or data products or things that they owned and start to think differently about being a product company? And so I got to come in and they said, oh, you went to business school. You know how to write product plans. And I was like, oh, sure. I had no idea. Yeah. But I got in there.

So they were trying to figure out, how do we build commercial muscles around these trading products or data products or things that they owned and start to think differently about being a product company? And so I got to come in and they said, oh, you went to business school. You know how to write product plans. And I was like, oh, sure. I had no idea. Yeah. But I got in there.

So they were trying to figure out, how do we build commercial muscles around these trading products or data products or things that they owned and start to think differently about being a product company? And so I got to come in and they said, oh, you went to business school. You know how to write product plans. And I was like, oh, sure. I had no idea. Yeah. But I got in there.

I learned it quickly. I helped them write some product plans. And then they hired me on permanently. And ultimately, I became a product manager in the trading division. And then they reorganized NASDAQ into three divisions. They peeled the data business out of the trading business. And they took a big risk on me when I was about 30, 31 years old. And they made me the head of the data business.

I learned it quickly. I helped them write some product plans. And then they hired me on permanently. And ultimately, I became a product manager in the trading division. And then they reorganized NASDAQ into three divisions. They peeled the data business out of the trading business. And they took a big risk on me when I was about 30, 31 years old. And they made me the head of the data business.

I learned it quickly. I helped them write some product plans. And then they hired me on permanently. And ultimately, I became a product manager in the trading division. And then they reorganized NASDAQ into three divisions. They peeled the data business out of the trading business. And they took a big risk on me when I was about 30, 31 years old. And they made me the head of the data business.

on the back of being that product manager. That was one of the great, you know, one defining moment. I think that then we had a new CEO come in in 2003 and he was very different, came from the technology industry. He was not coming from the banking side.

on the back of being that product manager. That was one of the great, you know, one defining moment. I think that then we had a new CEO come in in 2003 and he was very different, came from the technology industry. He was not coming from the banking side.