Over the past decade, the financial markets and the technology industry have undergone significant transformations, which evidently have had an enormous impact on where Lind Capital is today. March 2022 marks our 15th year in business, and several of our employees have been along for the greater part of our journey. In the light of this milestone, we have asked some of them to reminisce about the years that have passed.
The first employee of Lind Capital was our current CEO, Martin Markussen. When reflecting on the last 15 years, he states: “In retrospect, we have come a long way since we entered the market as the ‘new guys on the block’ back in 2007. Like with every other start-up, Lind Capital was founded on an idea where we saw lots of unrealised potential. Our ability to scale this idea through digitalisation of our platform has been pivotal for where we stand today. Back then, our level of technological solutions was fairly rudimentary compared to our systems today.”
A transformational time
“Five years in, our first Software Developer got onboard, and we initiated the journey to become more autonomous in our value chain. This is a milestone to remember, as developing our own platform was a paramount step in becoming the technology-driven trading company we are today. Beforehand, we were only a few Traders, Analysts, and an Accountant. A huge contrast to now, where our technology and data team comprise one-third of our employees”, Martin Markussen emphasises.
Jeppe Abrahamsen, Senior Manager, Head of Data & Post-Trade, has been a part of Lind Capital since 2009. He explains: “In the tech industry, 15 years is a huge amount of time and the progress within the industry has been revolutionary. In Lind Capital, we have managed to follow both this high pace of technological development and the ever-changing financial markets. When I first started, all business processes, including order placing, booking of trades, hedging, daily accounting, and so on, were handled manually. Through in-house developed software, we have automated most of these processes during the last decade. Limiting the amount of human intervention has increased our level of efficiency immensely and has enabled us to scale enormously during the last 15 years.”
Martin Markussen adds: “Development is a crucial factor in every aspect of Lind Capital. Both concerning our business, technology, research etc., as well as personal development. Our people are our most important asset, wherefore we invest in development programs to realise everyone’s potential. Simultaneously with scaling our technological setup, our remaining teams have grown, and new ones have been established. Even though trading was at the centre of the foundational idea, the scope of the company has advanced to encompass various roles that are mutually significant. We consider ourselves as one team, where the best argument always wins regardless of position and experience. Our dedicated, talented employees make Lind Capital, and their valuable contribution is the reason why we can celebrate this milestone.”
Cultural development
Mia Schmidt Lauridsen, HR Director, will be celebrating her 10-year anniversary this May. She states: “Not two years of my time at Lind Capital have been alike. As a company and individuals, we have undertaken enormous growth and continue to do so. Hence, our employees must prosper in a fast-paced environment, and luckily, they do. Thriving with responsibility and the opportunity to have an impact are key factors that describe us. Most importantly, we fight shoulder by shoulder as one team to reach our ambitious targets. Our unique culture is a key enabler for us to be able to attract some of the best candidates out there. One of our primary goals have always been to be a company that you are proud to be a part of, which our employee satisfaction survey repeatably substantiates.”
Martin Markussen adds: “Our culture is dynamic and evolves simultaneously with our company. The passion in the eyes of our employees and their drive to unfold their potential signifies the opportunistic mindset we all have in common. However, if we want continued engagement and development, we must challenge each other and be performance-oriented.”
The future Lind Capital
“Now, 15 years later, we have outgrown the role of being the new underdog and instead we are an established, highly respected challenger in the market. Yet, entrepreneurship is still a key driver for our success. We will continue to challenge the existing and dare to invest in new ideas because we believe it will bring Lind Capital to the next level. We have built a strong engine by utilising our market knowledge and customised platform, enabling us to scale for the future. In the recent years, we have identified exactly who we are and what we are good at and narrowing the scope of our business has enabled us to primarily focus on specific areas where we can win in the future. Even though we have reached many milestones over the last 15 years, I dare to say that the journey has only just begun”, Martin Markussen concludes.
