Employee Spotlight

Q&A with Eder Fan, Lead Engineer, Engineering

"When it comes to a data-led career, I think Preqin is a great place to learn and put your skills to work, to really test and grow them."

What is your role at Preqin and what does it entail?

I am a lead engineer on the Orion team in London. My role involves building a data pipeline, designing architecture, and advocating best practice when it comes to the engineering methods that the team utilizes. For example, using test-driven development or clean code.

We have a workflow tool that is built to cater to different data formats, which come from different sources. For example, Form-990 data from the IRS in the United States has its own format, and I help to ensure that it’s collected in the correct and an efficient way.

Of course, a big part of this is monitoring architecture, such as for news sources, as we collect huge amounts of data. It’s then ultimately entered into Cura.

What made you want to join Preqin?

I have a real passion for finance in general. It’s my academic background but also a personal interest of mine. I thought by working in finance I could learn so much more about the industry and, as it’s a hobby outside of work, become more informed generally.

On data, I think Preqin is a great place to learn and put your skills to work, to really test and grow them. Having the opportunity to use my skills to drive growth at the company was, and still is, exciting!

What do you like to do outside of work?

I like to trade stocks and manage my own portfolio. I also like to play tennis and cycle when I can, which is sometimes difficult as it rains a lot in London! But I'm part of a group that goes for cycle rides every Friday at midnight. I recently cycled from London to Whitstable in Kent at night, which was a lot of fun.

On rainy days, I like to play the guitar or piano while singing. I am a self-proclaimed annoying neighbor!

What makes the technical vision and roadmap at Preqin an exciting one?

The technical roadmap at Preqin is very forward-thinking and ambitious, which is exciting in and of itself. The growth in coverage of industry performance data, and the integration that into both new and existing products, is a key area I enjoy working on.

As Preqin grows, we’re handling larger amounts of data than ever. I’m really excited by the use of cutting-edge technology, such as machine learning, to analyze huge amounts of data. How we bring higher quality data and insights to customers quicker is the main aim overall.

What is the engineering culture at Preqin like?

I think the engineering culture can be described as a mix of deep coding combined with coffee-driven humor. We’re always trying to push boundaries from a technical perspective but make sure every team member has a smile while they do so. It's about everyone in the team, regardless of seniority, being able to share ideas – and get support for those ideas. That way, we push technological boundaries while having an open-minded and supportive culture.

Published: September 2024

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