As Director of Technical Operations at Black Edge Capital, Lauren drives strategic initiatives across trading and technology teams while overseeing critical trading operations and third party relationships, with a constant focus on identifying and mitigating operational and automation risk.
Prior to joining Black Edge, Lauren led the Technical Project Management team at Optiver, where she demonstrated expertise in scaling global teams and systems, optimizing trading infrastructure, and implementing enterprise-wide technology solutions. She has built and maintained strategic relationships with U.S. and European exchanges, clearing firms, market regulators, and infrastructure vendors, developing comprehensive expertise in the financial markets ecosystem. Her experience includes successfully executing complex, multi-year initiatives that enhanced trading capabilities across multiple regions and asset classes. Lauren’s strengths lie in her ability to bridge technical and business stakeholders, drive operational efficiency, and deliver results in fast-paced trading environments.
Lauren is passionate about mentoring and advancing women in the industry. She leads a WIFM Chicago Wolfpack and mentors through WIFM’s mentorship program. She has previously represented Optiver at the Grace Hopper Conference (2023) and served as a volunteer with Tutoring Chicago and on Tutoring Chicago’s Associate Board (’20-21).
Lauren holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Technology Management from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. She is certified in Prosci Change Management and is a graduate of the Ninth Edge Leadership Program.
