Stacie Swanstrom has spent her career at the heart of market transformation. After 27 years at Nasdaq, where she held roles across HR, marketing and senior business leadership, she’s now helping shape the future of trading infrastructure as Chief Product Officer at Pico. In this conversation with Traders Magazine, she talks about the lessons that guided her, the technology shifts she’s most excited about, and how leadership, inclusion and innovation all intersect in today’s markets.

You have a long history in financial markets technology (including a 27-year career at Nasdaq) before joining Pico. How has your prior experience shaped your approach in your current role?

My experience at Nasdaq gave me a deep appreciation for how mission-critical technology and innovation underpins the global financial markets. I had the privilege of working in human resources, marketing and spent most of my time running a number of large and growing businesses during a time of incredible transformation—when speed, scale and transparency reshaped how markets function. That perspective has been invaluable at Pico, where we serve the world’s most sophisticated financial institutions.

At Nasdaq, I learned that trust, performance and partnership are non-negotiable. At Pico, I’ve built on that foundation, helping our teams focus not just on delivering exceptional technology, but on anticipating our clients’ needs as the markets evolve. My goal is to blend institutional discipline with the agility of a growth company, ensuring we innovate while maintaining the reliability our clients depend on.

In your role overseeing both product and marketing, how do you make sure innovation stays aligned with what clients actually need and understand?

The key is constant client engagement. At Pico, Product and Marketing operate as one team, staying closely aligned with sales and maintaining an ongoing dialogue with clients. We build based on feedback, not in a vacuum.

We spend a lot of time understanding how our clients’ business models, regulatory obligations, and technology strategies are evolving. Our goal is to create value—not just through what we build, but how we communicate it. Marketing plays an essential role in providing clarity around complex technology and helping clients see the measurable impact on their business. When Product, Marketing and Sales work together from the start, innovation becomes meaningful and client-driven.

Financial markets infrastructure is evolving fast. What major changes or trends are you most excited about right now?

What excites me most is how technology, data and intelligent automation are converging to create real-time insights across the enterprise. The industry is shifting from isolated tools to fully integrated multi-asset platforms that combine data, analytics and execution in one environment.

At Pico, we’re uniquely positioned at that intersection. With data, our Redline low-latency execution capabilities and Corvil Analytics solution, we’re helping clients modernize their technology stacks, improve performance and derive actionable insight in real time. Clients want infrastructure that’s fast, reliable and intelligent—and that’s exactly where the industry is heading, and we’re leading the way.

We’re also seeing exciting developments in areas like AI-driven automation, the growing importance of overnight trading and broader data convergence. This evolution isn’t just about speed, it’s about helping clients operate smarter and more efficiently through insight and adaptability.

As a woman in a senior leadership role, what have been some of the key challenges you’ve faced and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges early in my career was being the only woman in the room, often in highly technical or senior discussions. That can be intimidating, but it also taught me to have confidence in my perspective and to turn that difference into strength. I focused on delivering results, listening deeply and earning credibility through collaboration.

I’ve also been fortunate to have incredible sponsors throughout my career, both men and women, who advocated for me, opened doors and gave me opportunities to lead. Their support reinforced for me how important it is to create opportunities for others and to be intentional about sponsorship, not just mentorship.

I’ve never viewed being surrounded by fewer women as an obstacle in my career—if anything, collaboration across perspectives has been essential to my growth. At Pico, I try to pay that forward by fostering an environment where people feel supported to lead in their own way and where every voice is valued. That’s when innovation and culture both thrive.

There’s been a lot of conversation around diversity and inclusion in finance. Have you seen that translate into real change?

Yes, and I’ve witnessed it firsthand. Early in my career, there were few women in senior or technical roles, but that’s changing. At events like the STA Annual Conference, which I’ve attended almost every year for more than two decades, I’m struck by the addition of the Women in Finance Symposium, and how many women now have major roles at leading financial institutions, lead committees, shape discussions and drive innovation. It’s been inspiring to see that progress.

There’s still work to do, but more firms now see diversity as a business advantage, with greater diversity in leadership pipelines, intentional sponsorship programs and a focus on inclusion as a driver of performance, not just culture.

With markets becoming more global and multi-asset, how do you think infrastructure and product strategy need to evolve to keep up?

As markets become more global, electronic and multi-asset, infrastructure has to evolve from being siloed to being seamlessly connected. Firms no longer want a patchwork of regional or asset-specific systems. They need integrated platforms that deliver consistency, performance and transparency across every venue, asset class and region.

That’s the direction the industry is heading, and it’s where Pico is investing. Our platform unifies global connectivity, low-latency execution through Redline and deep visibility and analytics through Corvil. Bringing these layers together—network, data, analytics and execution—creates a foundation that scales with the complexity of modern markets.

It’s not just about building faster technology; it’s about building smarter infrastructure that adapts to how clients trade, provides actionable insight from their data and delivers a truly global experience. That’s the evolution shaping the next generation of financial market infrastructure.

Marketing and branding seem to matter more in fintech now than they used to. Do you think that’s true, and if so, why?

Yes, absolutely. In fintech, especially market infrastructure, marketing and branding have become key differentiators. As competition grows, how you communicate your value matters as much as the technology itself.

Clients expect clarity and purpose. They want to know not just what you deliver but why it matters for them. That’s where marketing bridges the gap between innovation and understanding.

At Pico, we focus on education and trust, helping clients see the full value of our technology through webinars, virtual and in-person training, as well as ongoing engagement. A strong, authentic brand builds confidence, and in a space where reliability is everything, that’s powerful.

How do you approach planning and product development in an industry that’s changing so rapidly, especially with the rise of AI, new data needs, and shifting regulations?

We approach product planning through two lenses: client impact and future readiness. It starts with understanding how our clients’ trading, compliance and data strategies are evolving, and then building roadmaps that anticipate where the market is heading next.

AI and data intelligence are transforming what infrastructure means. We’re embedding intelligence throughout our platform—from Corvil’s analytics to Redline’s trading and connectivity—so clients can gain real-time insight, enhance performance, and streamline compliance. Our goal is to make data AI-ready, accessible and actionable.

Our process is iterative but disciplined—build, measure, learn, refine. That’s how we ensure our innovation is both forward-looking and grounded in reliability, transparency and trust.

What kind of impact do you think women in leadership roles can have on the future of finance?

Representation at the top matters. When women lead, they bring different perspectives that strengthen decision-making, culture and innovation. The best leaders I’ve worked with excel because they combine performance with empathy and vision.

Women in leadership can help redefine what success looks like in finance, balancing exceptional performance with a culture of inclusion and collaboration. Seeing women in senior roles changes what others believe is possible, and that visibility creates a ripple effect across the industry.

At Pico, I strive to lead by example and create a culture where diverse voices are heard and valued. The future of finance will be shaped by leaders who reflect the diversity of the world they serve.

What advice would you give to women just starting out in finance or fintech?

Be curious, ambitious and intentional about building relationships. Early in my career, I used every opportunity, from my commute to quiet moments at night, to learn about the industry, our products, and think about where I wanted to go.

Seek out mentors and sponsors who will advocate for you, and don’t wait until you feel fully qualified. Growth happens when you take risks and step outside your comfort zone.

Finally, stay authentic. Lead with confidence and integrity—your perspective is your strength, and it’s exactly what this industry needs.