Centralized
Functions
Overview
Our market-leading news, data, analytics and operations businesses are backed by best-in-industry professional services. Welcome to the business of leading Bloomberg—everything it takes to run a 13,000-person organization with 135+ offices.
Our teams include Administration, Finance, Legal/Legal Publications, Marketing, Professional Development and more. Our businesses have evolved and advanced with Bloomberg, in some instances operating informally for years and formally establishing recently to meet strategic goals.
In 2008, our strategic plan created the impetus to structure business services—carefully preserving our culture while re-positioning the company to maximize our strategy for growth. How we organize, allocate resources, recognize performance, promote career development and more were taken into consideration.
Today, we’re the champions of New Type B culture and defenders of Bloomberg values. Open career paths, minimal hierarchy, unconventionality and transparency remain the hallmarks of Bloomberg.
Case Study: Customer Service Portal
At Bloomberg, every business seizes opportunities to improve the client experience. One standout example is the Bloomberg Customer Service Portal. The Customer Service Portal was a collaborative project, shared in development among Finance and HR systems, Contracts, Global Accounting and more.
What is the portal?
The Customer Service Portal is a one-stop shop for all Bloomberg-client administrative services. Clients are able to place an order, sign a contract, check status, self-install and complete invoices in real time.
What makes it revolutionary?
It streamlines the full lifecycle of all administrative needs and legal/compliance documents. The portal also features cutting-edge e-invoicing, which creates full transparency when delivering against the client contract.
Why does it matter?
The site is incredibly popular, with a 91% client use rate and almost 80% of clients processing contracts through the site. What’s more, 30% of all customers are now placing product orders directly through the portal.
In essence, the Customer Service Portal is advancing relationships with new and current Bloomberg clients.
Business – Marketing
Founded in the entrepreneurial spirit of Bloomberg, the Marketing department was created in 2009 to help Bloomberg businesses reach customers and prospects with relevant products and services, differentiate our offerings, drive customer preference and deliver a superior customer experience.
Just as our businesses have expanded to reach a wider range of customers—from the financial elite, to business decision-makers, to government officials around the world—our role in marketing and building the Bloomberg brand has continued to evolve. We are one Bloomberg, reaching our customers through a variety of channels.
In Marketing, our collaborative ethos drives both business and brand value. We're teaming with business leads to provide the fact-based insights to make decisions. In addition, we develop integrated strategies and creative solutions to help businesses achieve monthly, quarterly and yearly objectives.
What sets Bloomberg Marketing apart? First: the people. Our professionals represent an impressive list of top names in marketing, handpicked from some of the best teams in Fortune 500 organizations. Second: the opportunity. Prior to 2009, Bloomberg had no formal marketing organization; there's tremendous potential. Few get the opportunity to join an organization with more than 13,000 people and literally invent the new marketing blueprint.
Who thrives here? Marketing professionals with functional experience: people with subject matter expertise and broad general knowledge, who can craft strategy and know how to execute quickly and efficiently. Attitude is equally important. If you have fun rolling up your sleeves and getting the job done; if you think creatively and build good relationships; if you are focused on business impact, you will fit right in.
Business – Professional Development
Professional Development takes the reins of advancing the human talent of Bloomberg. We are stewards of Bloomberg culture, guiding businesses in the process of recruiting new talent and ensuring that employees have the freedom to grow without constrictive boundaries. The integrity of our work is critical. Company-wide, we’re enhancing Bloomberg culture but also mitigating risk for the firm.
Professional Development teams help Bloomberg employees facilitate their own long-term career plans. We assist throughout the full spectrum of careers, from a new hire’s first day, to training and advancement into leadership. We deliver exceptional benefits, programs and services to make our employees’ work lives interesting and rewarding.
Our challenge is to guide individuals without traditional ladders or restrictive processes. We run the Preparing to Lead and Leadership Fundamentals courses, and provide coaching and succession planning to nurture a new generation of Bloomberg leaders. We also run the Global Leadership Forum (GLF), a summit of Bloomberg leaders. The first GLF took place in 2008, and the next is planned for 2011.
Bloomberg businesses are our primary clients. We help them optimize their organizational effectiveness, ensuring that the right people and skills are in place to achieve business goals. Each Professional Development team member supports a specific business, assisting managers in day-to-day hiring, performance management, employee relations and more.
Who thrives here? People with the expertise to build programs that never existed before, such as diversity initiatives, leadership seminars, global forums and more. Professionals who can apply their experience in a totally unique way, creating internal solutions to enhance skills and foster transparency.
Above all, it’s critical to appreciate the pulse, spontaneity and energy of Bloomberg. You have to "get" this company...and love it.
Business – Finance/Administration
Finance/Administration represents essential teams of internal and external service providers—all helping Bloomberg run with unmatched speed and efficiency company-wide.
Core departments include Global Accounting, Real Estate/Facilities, Travel, Payroll, Contracts, Finance/HR Systems and more. Any time a Bloomberg product is sold or a transaction is initiated, the sale is implemented through Finance/Administration.
In fact, most aspects of logistically running the company are handled by this business. Many roles outsourced in traditional organizations stay in-house at Bloomberg. It’s all part of adding value for clients at every step in the relationship.
Finance/Administration enjoys wide reach throughout Bloomberg, teaming with every business selling a product or service in the organization. With ample exposure from the most junior to most senior role, we’re proud to offer opportunities for career transition throughout the company.
Who thrives here? Detail-oriented minds with the acumen to treat colleagues as clients. People with the drive to constantly add value. We believe in increasing efficiencies and streamlining processes, wherever we see the opportunity. Professionals who enjoy customer contact in a fast-paced environment where innovation meets customer service.
Highlights Include:
- Global Accounting – Includes operational invoicing, accounts payable and corporate accounting. We serve both internal and external clients, with many entry-level hires moving to Analytics after two years.
- Real Estate/Facilities – At team of 700 people across the entire organization. Includes leasing and ownership of properties, as well as design, build-out and acquisition. Responsible for warehouses, hundreds of news bureaus, and staffing of building positions such as greeters, cleaning, etc. Encompasses everything from real estate deal strikers to architects to CIPM-certified buyers—handling lighting, floor plans, interior design, etc.
- Finance and HR Systems – Responsible for all performance management, payroll, succession planning, PeopleSoft, SAP, general ledger and data-warehousing systems. More than 60 programmers and developers support these systems, working closely with R&D.;
Business – Finance / Administration, Contracts & Supply Chain
Contracts
Contracts is the team that springs into action when a Bloomberg client says "Yes." We finalize every transaction whenever a business organization submits a sales order request.
Customer service is key in delivering on every sales order. The logistics can be complex. To solidify contracts, we communicate intensively with both clients and Bloomberg colleagues. Our professionals enter client information, create accounts, maintain the database and more—everything it takes to get an agreement signed and sealed.
But our work doesn’t stop there. We follow up to retrieve client agreements and ensure that every sale is properly billed. Without the timely delivery of contracts, Bloomberg could not establish profit centers and constantly advance as a company.
Who thrives here? Customer service naturals. Proven professionals who can comfortably multi-task and meet deadlines minute-to-minute. We attract many people from law firms who are looking to thrive in our vibrant culture.
Contracts has a 9-to-12 month learning curve. We’re a lean but agile group and request that every employee stay within Contracts for two years before exploring other professional Bloomberg opportunities.
Supply Chain
Defined as "procurement" in other organizations, our Supply Chain business is intensively customer-focused. Our professionals acquire, produce and/or distribute supplies and materials—everything it takes to run the company.
Our major clients are Bloomberg colleagues. We team with every department and business. Our professionals are proud to provide "procurement" as a value-added service, enhancing global efficiency through seamless delivery and high performance.
Supply Chain serves three diverse functions within Bloomberg:
- Distribution Asset Management – global warehousing, inventory mail distribution, inventory management and asset tracking.
- Purchasing – the global acquisition of inventory.
- Print – our in-house printing team in Princeton, NJ, producing and delivering business cards, posters and marketing materials.
Who thrives here? "Get it done" people. Fast-performing individuals with a passion for customer service. Professionals who don’t hesitate to make the personal investment it takes to ensure delivery.