When you think of Wall Street, what comes to mind?
Perhaps it is a fast-paced world of suits, stock tickers, and power lunches in Midtown Manhattan. Perhaps it is the violent culture shown in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street. Perhaps it just feels like a faraway universe—full of statistics, unreachable to most people outside of the banking industry.
However, once in a while, someone comes along and quietly disturbs that world—not with bluster, but with vision, resilience, and a very human attitude. That someone is Adena Friedman, Nasdaq’s President and CEO, and the first woman to run a major global exchange.
What’s astonishing is that she’s done it without attempting to “act like a man,” without losing her authenticity, and while transforming the very culture that made Wall Street daunting to so many.
From Intern to CEO: A Story to Tell
Adena Friedman’s narrative isn’t about sudden success. It’s a narrative about showing up, learning everything, and deserving every step ahead.
She began working at Nasdaq as an intern in 1993. The thought that the woman who now runs one of the world’s most powerful financial companies used to get coffee and produce reports? That is not just motivating, but also grounded.
Friedman was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1969, and grew up in a family that emphasised both success and curiosity.
Her mother was an attorney, while her father worked as a managing director at T. Rowe Price, a well-known investing firm. This milieu piqued her interest in money early on, but her route was anything from straightforward.
After getting a political science degree from Williams College and an MBA from Vanderbilt, she joined Nasdaq, which was still a new exchange attempting to establish itself alongside the New York Stock Exchange.
While most individuals would have been content to stay in their comfort zone, Friedman went all-in on every part of the business. She mastered technology, operations, and strategy. She didn’t only work for Nasdaq. She made it her job to learn how it works.
Why Nasdaq Required a Different Type of Leader?
Let us be honest. Wall Street has long been recognised for its macho culture, in which assertiveness is sometimes misconstrued with recklessness and sensitivity is viewed as a weakness.
When Adena Friedman came over as CEO in 2017, she brought a new style of leadership. She wasn’t loud. She did not hit her chest. Instead, she listened, watched, and acted.
One of her first steps was to double down on technology. Friedman thought Nasdaq was more than simply a stock exchange; it was fundamentally a technology firm. She led Nasdaq to provide market monitoring, data analytics, and cloud-based solutions to other exchanges and agencies. This move transformed Nasdaq’s identity.
She wasn’t attempting to outcompete the NYSE. She was playing a whole other game—and winning.
Being a Woman at the Top: Not Just a Footnote
Let’s pause to enjoy something: Adena Friedman is not just any CEO. She is the first woman to oversee a worldwide stock exchange. In a field dominated by men in fitted suits and established hierarchies, this is a watershed moment.
But what sets her apart even more is how she has addressed her job as a woman in leadership.
She has freely discussed impostor syndrome, a sensation that affects even the most accomplished people. “There were times early on when I would walk into a room and feel like, ‘Do I belong here?'” she once said in an interview.
Sounds familiar? Whether you’re starting a new job, speaking in front of a challenging crowd, or simply attempting to speak out in a group where you feel like the odd one out, that sense of not quite belonging is very relatable.
But Friedman did not let it paralyse her. Instead, she used it for fuel. “I decided I was going to be the most prepared person in the room,” she told me. “That’s how I earned my voice.”
Leadership with a Human Touch
Friedman’s leadership approach is surprisingly kind. She appreciates honesty, humility, and collaboration—words that may seem like buzzwords until you hear her describe them.
For example, during the COVID-19 outbreak, while many CEOs gave robotic pronouncements about “unprecedented times,” Friedman did something unique.
She spoke openly about her personal anxiety concerns, the difficulties of parenting while working from home, and Nasdaq’s efforts to help its employees.
What level of vulnerability? That’s unusual.
She also promotes mental health, gender equality, and workplace inclusivity—not just in speeches, but throughout the Nasdaq culture. Under her leadership, the corporation prioritised boardroom diversity, including submitting a proposal to the SEC requiring listed companies to publish board diversity.
In a world where “diversity” is frequently reduced to a checkbox, Friedman has made it into a reality.
The Power of Purpose
Friedman is a huge believer in purpose-driven capitalism—a term that’s becoming increasingly significant as people ask whether the financial system benefits everyone, or just the top 1%.
She contends that corporations must do more than just generate money; they must also build trust, contribute to society, and operate with integrity. And she walks the talk.
Nasdaq under her leadership is about more than simply transactions per second; it is also about long-term effect. That’s why the organisation has increased its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) products, assisting businesses in meeting the rising need for sustainable practices.
She once stated, “We are stewards of the capital markets.” Our responsibility is to make sure they stay fair, transparent, and robust. That attitude of responsibility—not only to shareholders, but also to society—is something we sorely need more of.
More Than a CEO
When she’s not running Nasdaq or presenting at international conferences, Friedman is just a person. A mother.
A wife. A skier. A fan of Game of Thrones.
And that’s the point. We frequently transform successful individuals into caricatures. We believe they must be different from us—more focused, confident, and “perfect.”
But Adena Friedman’s tale shows that you don’t have to be flawless to lead. You only need to be interested, devoted, and fearless.
She didn’t force her way to the top. She listened. She learnt. And she took the lead.
What Can We Learn from Her?
Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder, starting your own business, or simply figuring out your next step in life, Friedman’s path has lessons for all of us.
- Start where you are: She started as an intern. Great things require time.
- Become the most prepared person in the room: Even if you feel like an outsider, information boosts confidence.
- Empathy should be the guiding principle: People gravitate towards individuals who make them feel noticed and heard.
- Redefine the rules: You do not have to be the leader that others were. You may forge your own route.
- Maintain a sense of stability: Titles change. Staying true to your ideals is more important.
The Legacy She’s Creating
Adena Friedman is not simply altering Nasdaq. She is redefining what leadership means in finance and beyond.
She is making it more inclusive, human, and future-oriented. In doing so, she demonstrates that power does not always manifest as dominance. It can take the form of thorough listening, sensible action, and purposeful leadership.
In her own words, “I want to create a market that reflects the best of who we are as people, not just as traders.”
And that? That’s a market worth believing in.
Also read: Women Who Choose Not to Marry – Lonely or Liberated?
