From the military to the corporate environment: What service means for veterans and allies at Bloomberg

Both the military and Bloomberg embody a common spirit: the mission comes first. Teamwork, communication, adaptability and integrity are just some of the skills and characteristics that transfer well from military service to a career at Bloomberg.

“After working for nearly 33 years in the armed services, Bloomberg has been fully supportive of my transition into the private sector and continually offers opportunities for veterans,” says Eduardo Jany of Security Operations in New York. He is the global lead of the Military and Veterans Community, an employee resource group that brings together those who have served or currently serve in the military, military families and supporters to foster a military-friendly work environment at Bloomberg.

Five military veterans and allies at Bloomberg share their personal stories of service and transition, including their favorite Bloomberg Terminal functions that help them in their corporate role.

A Seamless Transition
From helping to train the Colombian military to track drug traffickers in the 1980s, to serving three tours in the Middle East commanding a unit of Special Forces fighting terrorism, Eduardo Jany has proudly served his country. “Being a Marine helped me develop leadership skills that I apply at Bloomberg every day,” says Eduardo.

“Transitioning to the private sector wasn’t difficult, because my job requires managing a team to keep people safe, which is what I did in the past.”

Supporting Bloomberg’s security operations in the Americas, Eduardo is thankful for the Military and Veteran’s Community at Bloomberg. “If you’re looking to engage with people of a similar background or just seeking support and a sense of belonging, I’d encourage others to join an employee resource group or network at their companies. These forums offer support, understanding, information and resource sharing that can help you,” says Eduardo.

With access to many lifestyle functions through the Bloomberg Terminal, Eduardo shares his favorite: “I love TRIP <GO>. I travel quite a bit for my role and it allows me to plan, coordinate, and share travel itineraries all from one site.”

What It Takes to Be a Leader
During Operation Enduring Freedom, when the United States and its allies responded to the September 11, 2001 attacks, Mary Briatico of Sales in New York was an Aerospace Propulsion Journeyman for the United States Airforce’s KC-135 Refuelers and B-1 Bomber aircrafts.

“I worked in an engine test cell and isochronal inspections, making sure that all aircrafts were ready and safe to fly before they supported Operation Enduring Freedom,” explains Mary.

“Ensuring my fellow airman’s lives were safe in flight has given me attention to detail and has helped in my work to this day.”

Being in the military has taught Mary to make smarter decisions when it comes to leading. “Becoming a leader requires consensus building and knowing where you fit in the larger picture, which is very much a part of my job in financial product sales,” says Mary.

Mary shares her favorite Terminal function. “I like FFM <GO>, which stands for Functions for the Market, it highlights Bloomberg functions relevant to current market events. The stories published there have been a great way for me to keep my knowledge on our products and financial markets fresh.”

See our Bloomberg Professional Services blog for an example of FFM, here.

Helping Others Get Back On Their Feet
Serving for five and a half years in the United States Army, Russell Grant of Sales in New York is familiar with teamwork. “In Afghanistan and Iraq I was part of the bomb squad, which meant I relied heavily on the soldiers I worked with,” says Russell.

After leaving the military, Russell worked briefly at a bank and then joined Bloomberg. “I loved seeing the open office plan and watching people collaborate which is key to mission success in the military. That sold me immediately,” Russell says.

Russell is the New York Office Chapter lead for the Military and Veterans Community. “With Bloomberg, I enjoy helping veterans who are studying and trying to get back into the workforce. We help make veterans marketable, so that they can continue to be an asset for their country and employer,” says Russell.

Russell shares his favorite Terminal function: SPLC <GO>. “It provides a comprehensive supply chain breakdown for companies, so you can analyze revenue exposure for the central company, its suppliers, and its customers, as well as track the performance of the company against its peers. I’ve been selling this to defense contractors and they love it because our data is unique. Nobody else has our data.”

Mike Bloomberg shows a demo of SPLC<GO> in an interview on 60 Minutes

Generosity Goes a Long Way
When Cassandra Merolla of Enterprise Data KYC in New York joined Bloomberg, her husband Jamie Merolla was preparing to start basic training for the Marines. “Knowing that I couldn’t have any contact with Jamie for two months was very difficult,” she says.

During training, Jamie got injured. “My husband was in the hospital and the medical bills would have been costly if it wasn’t for Bloomberg’s comprehensive employee benefits that helped us,” says Cassandra.

“Giving back is incredibly important to me and I get to volunteer more than 100 hours a year through BOB <GO>, a function on the Bloomberg Terminal that provides opportunities for employees to support non-profit organizations,” she says. “I truly value the company’s commitment to philanthropy. As a former teacher, I’m particularly passionate about Bloomberg’s startup programs that run a range of mentoring and education initiatives to help shape our next generation of leaders”

Helping Other Veterans in Need
During the Bosnian Conflict of 1995/96, Gaz Roberts of Network Operations in London was providing communications to gather intelligence for the United Nations, which changed during deployment of NATO’s Implementation Force.

“It was a different type of pressure compared to working for Bloomberg, because lives were at stake,” says Gaz. “I had to think critically and provide support for my colleagues.”

Since Gaz joined Bloomberg in 1997, he continues to help other veterans in need. “I love participating in Bloomberg’s Habitat for Humanity projects and making sure veterans are properly taken care of, so that they can enter the workforce again,” says Gaz.

Gaz Shares his favorite Terminal function. “As a manager in Tech Ops, it has to be MYDB <GO>.  It’s a dashboard that helps me keep an eye on the tickets and requests hitting my team’s queues and allows me to manage my own workload.”

Veterans bring their experiences, backgrounds and learnings with them to the workplace. The skills gained during military service are not only transferable, but also a vital asset to workplace diversity.

Learn more about military veterans at Bloomberg here.