The New York City Program visited the headquarters of Bloomberg on Dec. 11 and were hosted by Hamilton alumnus Scott Havens ’95 who is the company’s global head of digital.
Bloomberg is a technology company that focuses on providing data through their flagship “Bloomberg Terminal” to financial services companies. It also has a media division that focuses on providing financial information.
Before speaking with Scott, the students toured the futuristic building that is designed to reinforce the company’s cultures. The sixth floor, dubbed “the link” because it connects two sides of the building, is constructed mostly of glass and is the focal point of the building that all employees are required to pass through. It emphasizes the company’s culture of transparency and meritocracy.
The group was led on a tour by Havens’ assistant, Erica, who had an impressive knowledge of Bloomberg’s history and explained how the various architectural structures all had some meaning put in place to drive Bloomberg’s unique culture. One aspect of that culture is that every employee—regardless of rank—sits at the same size desk. This meritocracy and desk size even applies to founder and CEO Mike Bloomberg himself.
Scott Havens generously took the time to tell students what led him to Bloomberg and also described some interesting business pursuits that the company is currently unveiling. He also offered insight into the emerging markets that Bloomberg is targeting in order to increase their flagship terminal business, which was relevant to the NYC program’s emerging market-focused curriculum.
As a testament to the meritocracy and entrepreneurial culture of Bloomberg, Scott noted how he is able to discuss directly with Mike Bloomberg his aspirations for the company. Students in the New York City program were grateful that Scott Havens hosted them and also took the time to speak about his time after Hamilton.
