Tradeweb
Keeping an open mind
01 September 2026
Francesco Gregotti, assistant vice president, AiEX and workflow solutions data analytics at Tradeweb, speaks to Carmella Haswell about his unexpected path into finance, recognising strengths, and the role of AI in the market
Image: Francesco Gregotti
Can you tell me about your journey into the securities finance industry?
My journey into financial services was something of a happy accident. I studied computer science at Queen Mary University of London and imagined myself going into more of a creative, development-focused career, like web design. Financial markets were not really on my radar. But after joining Tradeweb as an intern in the technology team, I was introduced to the industry and quickly became interested in how technology could be applied within finance.
After graduating, I rejoined Tradeweb full-time in a technology scripting role. While it was less product and client-focused than my role today, it gave me my first real exposure to automation and how technology could be used to improve trading workflows. About a year later, I joined the Automated Intelligent Execution (AiEX) team, where my role initially focused on automation and data analysis.
Over time, my position evolved to become much more client-facing. Today, I work directly with clients to understand their trading workflows and explore how Tradeweb鈥檚 automated execution capabilities can help make those processes more efficient. It has brought together several things I really enjoy: my background in computer science, an interest in data and technology, and the understanding of financial markets that I have developed throughout my time at Tradeweb. It is not the career path I expected when I started university, but that is part of what has made the journey so rewarding.
As a young professional, what aspects of your role or the industry do you find most exciting?
I think a lot of people in my position would say the same thing, but it has to be AI. It is accelerating both the speed and sophistication of the analysis we can do, and for someone with a background in computer science and data, being able to apply those skills to projects that can have a direct impact on clients is incredibly interesting. It has been genuinely exciting to watch automation move from simple rules-based execution toward something far smarter and more dynamic.
My role is a hybrid of data and analytics and client engagement. I spend a lot of time speaking to clients about their existing trading workflows, looking across different asset classes and identifying where automation can help make those workflows more efficient, as well as where it can create entirely new trading opportunities.
What I did not expect when I was studying was how much I would enjoy the client-facing side of the role. Getting to understand how different clients trade, the challenges they are trying to solve, and then thinking about how technology, data, and AI can help address those challenges has been really rewarding. The fact that automation is continuing to evolve so quickly also means there is always an opportunity to contribute new ideas.
Many companies offer various training and development opportunities for their employees. How has your company supported your growth?
When I joined Tradeweb full-time after my internship, I took part in the analyst programme, which provided a year of training across different areas of financial markets. We covered everything from how different asset classes are priced and how products such as interest rate swaps work, to working with data and communicating effectively with clients. Having the opportunity to build that foundation so early in my career was incredibly valuable and I am grateful that Tradeweb places such an emphasis on early-career development.
I was also paired with a senior colleague for a year through Tradeweb鈥檚 mentorship programme. Having someone I could turn to for career and development advice or speak openly about situations at work and how best to navigate them, was incredibly useful. Having access to someone with more experience helped me build confidence and develop the professional judgement that comes with time.
Beyond the formal programmes, a lot of my growth has come from simply being given opportunities to get involved 鈥� and being encouraged to take them. More recently, that has included being involved in interviewing interns over the past three years and managing interns for the past two summers. That has allowed me to start developing a completely different skill set and to pass on some of what I have learnt to colleagues who are just beginning their own careers.
What misconceptions about working in the financial industry have you encountered, and how do you address these challenges?
One of the biggest misconceptions I come across when speaking to students or people doing work experience is that you need to have studied finance or already know a lot about the industry to build a career in it. I thought the same thing when I was younger, but I quickly learnt that coming in without a traditional finance background did not hold me back. There were plenty of opportunities to learn on the job, ask questions, and build my knowledge over time.
The industry increasingly brings together technology, data, analytics, and client problem-solving, so there is real value in having people from a range of backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking. That diversity of perspective often leads to better ideas and different approaches to solving problems. I think it is important for young people to recognise that the skills they already have 鈥� whether they studied geography, history, languages, or something else entirely 鈥� can be relevant to financial markets, even if they have not followed what they might consider the traditional route into the industry.
What advice do you have for other young professionals aspiring to pursue a career in your industry?
Be curious and ask lots of questions. It is something I always say to the interns I work with as well. When you are starting out, it can sometimes feel uncomfortable asking a question in a meeting because you are worried that everyone else already knows the answer. In my experience, it is much better to ask. That curiosity is how you build your understanding, learn from the people around you and become more confident in your role.
I would also say, keep an open mind about where your career might take you. I certainly did not have financial markets mapped out as a career when I was at university, and I probably would not have discovered Tradeweb if I had been too fixed on what I thought my career was supposed to look like. Some of the best opportunities can be the ones you did not initially plan for, so be willing to explore them and see where they lead.
Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in the next five years in terms of your career goals and aspirations?
I have learnt from my career so far that it is difficult to predict exactly where you will be in five years 鈥� I certainly would not have predicted when I was at university that I would be doing what I am today.
What I do know is that I would like to keep doing work that challenges me and gives me the opportunity to learn. Data has always been something I really enjoy working with, and developments in AI are opening up new ways to analyse information faster and generate more meaningful insights, so I am excited to see where that takes us and to keep learning as the technology develops.
I have also really enjoyed working with interns and more junior members of the team. Some of the people who have had the biggest impact on my own career are those who took the time to teach me, answer questions, and give me opportunities, so I would like to be able to do more of that for others as I gain experience.
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