As a global financial and information technology company, Bloomberg has always remained a leader when it comes to helping investment firms small and large make smarter and faster business and financial decisions. Over the years, its mission has been to give markets the necessary tools to be better informed and more efficient, which helps grow economies, create jobs and raise living standards for people all over the world.
Terrence Crossdale, a Team Leader for the Content Management System (CMS) Platform Engineering team, joined Bloomberg in 2020. His interest in Bloomberg was sparked by his understanding of the global impact of the Bloomberg Terminal.
“I have a background in Information Systems and was excited about the prospects of contributing to technology with significant global relevance,” he recalls. The challenges and opportunities of working on technology that supports the global financial markets were compelling factors in his decision to join Bloomberg.
The Backbone of Bloomberg’s Digital Presence
Crossdale and his team support most of the firm’s marketing websites, with the cutting-edge infrastructure the team created ensuring that front-end developers can focus on the creative aspects of their projects without worrying about other logistics.
His role as CMS Platform Engineering Team Lead gives him a unique perspective when it comes to the company’s broader mission. The infrastructure’s resilience, monitoring capabilities and deployment pipelines are crucial for maintaining the high performance and reliability of Bloomberg’s web presence, which aligns seamlessly with Bloomberg’s overarching goals.
“Our two main objectives are to increase awareness of the Bloomberg brand and to boost sales,” Crossdale notes. “By creating a strong online presence, the CMS team helps elevate Bloomberg’s profile, showcasing the company’s products, events and initiatives to a global audience. In turn, this enhanced visibility drives revenue growth, reinforcing Bloomberg’s position in the market.”
From Engineer to Leader: A Journey of Growth and Collaboration
Crossdale’s transition from Senior Software Engineer to Team Leader has significantly influenced his perspective on both technology and leadership. Managing others, and advocating for them, has given him the ability to craft strategies that marry business goals with the team’s professional development needs.
“Taking the time to build relationships,” he stresses, “has helped me better understand what each engineer needs to succeed in their role and overall career, and how to empower each of them to perform to the best of their technical abilities.”
By developing these supportive relationships and an inclusive team environment, Crossdale can effectively set a vision for the team that aligns with the business and provides clear direction, inspiration and purpose to the engineers in their work.
Diversity and Inclusion: A Personal Commitment
As a member of the advisory board for Bloomberg’s Black in Tech (BBIT) group, Crossdale is deeply involved in initiatives aimed at increasing Black representation within the company and the broader engineering industry.
“Being involved in programs like Bloomberg’s Accelerator and attending conferences such as AfroTech and NSBE has helped me better understand the importance of increasing Black representation within Bloomberg and the broader software engineering sector,” says Crossdale
He says these initiatives help create a pipeline of well-prepared diverse candidates, giving talented engineers a chance to “fully understand and envision themselves thriving within Bloomberg’s diverse workforce and inclusive culture and workplace environment,” while growing overall Black representation at the company.
Continuous Learning and Professional Development
When it comes to professional development, Crossdale mentions the many readily available resources employees have at their fingertips.
“Bloomberg University is a valuable resource available to all of the company’s employees,” he shares. “It is a learning platform that offers continuous courses to grow your professional skills, develop your leadership qualities, and advance your career. Bloomberg also offers tuition reimbursement to support its employees in furthering their education.”
Fostering Innovation and Career Growth
The supportive environment at Bloomberg encourages engineers to innovate and expand their technical skills.
“Engineers are often encouraged to utilize open source software and contribute back to the open source community, as well as to attend and speak at technical conferences. Participating in these opportunities is a way to stay abreast of the latest technologies and industry trends,” Crossdale asserts. “These are also ways for engineers to grow their professional networks and expand their technical skills.”
Crossdale’s participation in Bloomberg’s GOAL (Growth, Opportunity, Access, Leadership) program, which prepares underrepresented talent for leadership roles, exemplifies the company’s commitment to career advocacy and mentorship.
“Over eight months, the program paired me with a leadership mentor and an executive sponsor, provided me with important feedback from managers, peers and colleagues, and also allowed me to create a professional development plan.”
Crossdale’s growth and continued success at the company is a prime example of how Bloomberg’s commitments to inclusion and representation garner actual results.
