In this edition of the Life at FT Blog, we had the opportunity to interview Dervedia Thomas, the Managing Editor of FundFire, within Money Media at our New York Office. Dervedia recounts her journey into the field of journalism and offers insights into her time working at the FT. Additionally, she shares an inspiring story about how the FT embodies one of its core values, curiosity. This value allowed Dervedia to produce a deeply personal video story, a unique experience she never thought she could see run in a financial publication. 

Why did you join the FT? And can you tell me a little bit about your journey before joining the FT? 

When I joined the FT, it wasn’t just a matter of looking for a new opportunity. I was approached by the editor of FundFire at the time, whom I had previously met at a cocktail event. I was hesitant at first because there were opportunities for me to advance in my current role, but after much persuasion from some of my colleagues – one of which the FundFire editor had also contacted to have him encourage me – I decided to do the interview and see how it goes. 

I got into the industry straight out of grad school at Columbia. I was looking for jobs and applying to different journalism roles, but I couldn't find anything. I would just ignore all of the financial reporter jobs because I didn't think I was qualified for them or interested, quite frankly. But then, there was a company called Euromoney Institutional Investor with a graduate trainee program. I thought, if they were going to train me on it, then this could work. 

It was a learn-on-the-job program - I did weekly classes with the company and I would write two or three stories per week. Slowly, but surely, I got into the beat. I worked with that company for two years until they sold the publication to another company called Pageant Media, which is now called With Intelligence. I was there for four years and a lot of the role was getting out networking, developing sources and meeting people – hence the reason I ran into the former editor of FundFire, Billy Nauman. 

What excites you most about working in your team or business area? 

As a managing editor, having the opportunity to help reporters do in-depth journalism is what excites me the most. I work with 10 - 11 reporters to develop their stories. That typically entails helping them think through ways that they can make their stories better, or exploring a different perspective than the one they are currently considering. I enjoy seeing their careers blossom as they get more experience in this field and craft stories that capture the interest of our readers. 

Can you describe a typical day in your role/department? 

Twice, sometimes three times a week I get up at 6:30 am as I need to publish the issue in the morning (we have other editors for other days). So I make coffee, edit the stories that come in from the reporter we have in Ireland, who picks up anything that has come in overnight – usually around two stories. After that, I check to see if any news has broken and then publish at 7:30. I check in with all the reporters around 9:30 and see what kind of stories they're working on. If it's remotely, it'll be via Slack, or if in person I’ll just go to their desks.

Twice a week we’ll do team meetings where each person talks about what they're working on and I explore different angles with them. The team also gets to contribute any ideas or sources that can make their colleagues’ work better.  Then I make sure I know what is being published in the issue for the next day and check in with staff again before they submit their stories to be edited at 4pm. 

What project are you most proud of? Or most excited about it? 

Marketing, distribution and work-related stories are hot topics for our readers. The pandemic provided a lot of opportunities to delve into work-related stories, as the whole world was trying to figure out how to work from home while managing families and remaining sane. For example, how to adjust to working from home and then how to deal with going back to the office. What hybrid schedules look like and how to navigate this as an employee and manager. And then there was the elevated interest in diversity and inclusion after George Floyd’s murder, which allowed us to explore topics related to race and equity. Anything with an HR perspective interests me, and I think it strikes a nerve with a lot of people. 

I also like doing videos, I don’t do many as a managing editor, but I did a lot when I was an associate editor and enjoy them. 

What has surprised you most about working at the FT? 

Within Money-Media specifically, I was surprised by the commitment to a twice-a-month staff meeting, where the leaders explain what's going on with the business. It often covers topics from company finances, the marketing strategy and what editorial is working on. That surprised me because I hadn't worked anywhere before where they had been this open. I was also pretty surprised by the willingness to train staff and share knowledge. I have always worked in organizations where people will openly share knowledge but within the FT it is more formalized. 

How has the FT helped you develop or progress in your role or your career? 

The feedback I receive from my manager, who oversees our team, helps me grow professionally, but so does collaborating with all of my colleagues here at the FT because I learn from them and how they do things. 

FT's values are Ambition, Inclusion, Integrity, Curiosity, Trust and Subscriber Focused. In relation to your role at the FT which of these values speaks to you most and why? 

I do like the curiosity angle, as well as trust. There are stories that I didn't think I could write for a financial publication, which I have since written. For example, I did a video about Black women embracing their natural hair during the pandemic. This isn’t something that you usually talk about outside of the Black community. The idea kept coming into my head, but I didn’t think this was something I could produce for FundFire, however, when I pitched the idea, it was well received. 

When I started to create the story, I spoke to other women within the asset management industry who were willing to come forward and speak about their experiences, stating that they were embarrassed because their hair was different to their colleagues and that they hadn’t seen their natural hair since they were kids. These topics are very personal, and I was glad that I had the opportunity to produce this. 

Do you have a specific highlight to your career so far? 

I think the fact that I've been able to move up consistently within my career, I have had several positions and now I am a managing editor. I still have coaching and work to do, but people recognising my work and taking the time to read it is rewarding.