Meet Bassel, and hear about his time at Bloomberg

Can you share more about your career journey at Bloomberg?

My journey at Bloomberg began five years ago. In my first year with the company, I was fortunate to be part of the team that launched Bloomberg’s first Shareholder Activism product, which offers live activist campaign data and research. I had the chance to promote the product to both internal and external stakeholders, and also got to collaborate with colleagues across departments to identify opportunities that would help grow our client base.

After four years of managing the Shareholder Activism product, I wanted to pursue a new challenge. As such, I decided to shift my focus to Bloomberg’s Investor Portfolios product. I now use my market knowledge and client-facing experience to support the team, while continuing to upskill within this space.

How have you been able to innovate and give back in your role?

In today’s digital age, the opportunities for innovation are endless. A big focus of my role is direct client engagement and cross-departmental networking. This not only allows me and my team to better understand current demand, but it also helps us innovate in line with upcoming client needs and future market trends.

In addition, I lead the Data Advanced News Training Program at Bloomberg, which teaches analysts how to turn data into newsworthy articles. We recently expanded the program’s reach globally, and also introduced a shorter version as part of our summer internship curriculum.

What is most exciting about the field you’re working in?

My team’s goal is to have more reliable data on all quality metrics, and to create a better user interface to appeal to a wider range of clients. The opportunities here are endless, and having to be agile and adapt to changing market needs is an exciting challenge.

To this end, I’m currently managing a team of research analysts who are working with hundreds of fund houses to intake proprietary portfolio holdings data so it can be seamlessly integrated across the Bloomberg Terminal. This will enhance the timeliness, accuracy and coverage of our data, and also improve the way clients interact with our product.

Where do you think you’ve added the most value?

I’ve been part of every stage of the product life cycle, from development to launch. This has enabled me to develop a strong network of contacts across the firm. I believe my value lies in my ability to bridge the gap between Bloomberg’s clients and my colleagues across different departments.