In this series, we sit down with some of our colleagues at the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) to talk about how they came to work at our exchange, what life at LuxSE is like for them and what they appreciate the most about their jobs.
In this instalment of our 'Life at LuxSE' series, we checked in with Khadija Mellouki, Facility Services Manager at LuxSE, and asked her to share her perspective.
Khadija's journey to LuxSE
It was never a given that Khadija would end up in Luxembourg and join the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Born and raised in Morocco, her curiosity and interest in other cultures could have brought her almost anywhere.
All her life, Khadija has been passionate about travelling and learning other languages, and from an early age, she dreamt of exploring new places. As soon as she turned 18, she spread her wings and moved abroad to study. First to Saint Petersburg, and then to Belgium, and a few years later she had secured University degrees in both architecture and civil engineering, and in the management of the landsites and real estate
Khadija’s eyes fell on Luxembourg when she was looking for an internship at an architectural firm. That’s how she first discovered the dynamic professional opportunities the country offers. In 2018, after 10 years of construction projects, she wanted to try something very different so driven by her curiosity and love of learning new skills, she decided to swap construction sites, drawing boards and 3D projections for the financial environment of Luxembourg’s only exchange.
When she first joined LuxSE, Khadija didn’t quite know what to expect, apart from some vague ideas about Wall Street:
I quickly discovered that the Luxembourg Stock Exchange is a human-sized company with a friendly atmosphere and a unique pioneering spirit, where new ideas are encouraged and explored at all levels.
Khadija Mellouki, Facility Services Manager
Today, Khadija leads a team of 5 people who put a lot of efforts into making LuxSE’s premises a great work location with a comfortable environment for its 140+ employees. Khadija and her team take care of all matters linked to the building and the physical work environment, and this includes running a friendly and professional reception service, space management, ensuring a safe and secure working space for all employees and the smooth running of all facilities – in short, literally keeping the lights on at the exchange, and making sure that the working conditions are as comfortable as possible so that everyone else can focus on their priorities and objectives.
A typical day in the office
More than anything, Khadija and her team are problem-solvers. Whenever there is a problem or something needs to be fixed, the Facility Management team is on hand and come up with a solution. For Khadija, every day is different as the team’s agenda is often shaped by unforeseen circumstances. One thing is certain, though - every day brings interactions with departments across the company, at all levels, and plenty of coordination with external suppliers.
Khadija is responsible for keeping the building and all its installations in good shape, which involves a variety of different maintenance work. She negotiates contracts, selects and manages suppliers and knows everything worth knowing about electricity, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. You name it, she knows it! She has also reached a unique proficiency level when it comes to managing the individual sound and temperature preferences of LuxSE’s 140+ employees in a work location mainly consisting of open office landscape.
Sustainability first
Khadija’s role as Facility Manager has evolved considerably in the five years since she joined LuxSE. New ways of working are high on the agenda and Khadija is also responsible for making LuxSE’s internal operations as sustainable as possible. This includes proposing measures to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and energy consumption as well as selecting environmentally friendly solutions or suppliers that have found alternatives to single-use plastics.
In addition to the green angle, Khadija is focused on the S in ESG as well, more specifically the well-being of LuxSE’s employees. In 2019, given her background qualifications in Health & Safety coordination, she was appointed as LuxSE’s Health & Safety Manager, a role that was essential throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, when office work as we had come to know it was disrupted in major ways. Throughout the pandemic, LuxSE put the health & safety of its employees first, and Khadija was in charge of defining and implementing a series of measures to make the workspace as safe as possible for everyone. This included the Occupational Health & Safety Management System that Khadija came up with, which aims to define the company's strategy in developing the health and safety of employees and conducts regular regulatory monitoring and compliance assessments of all health and safety matters in the company.
When asked what she appreciates the most about LuxSE, Khadija is quick to answer:
There are so many different nationalities at LuxSE and I really like this diversity. The company also has an open-door policy and a highly approachable leadership team, and this creates a nice and efficient work environment for everyone.
Khadija Mellouki, Facility Services Manager
Ready to take the next step in your career?
More about the Luxembourg Stock Exchange
Located in the heart of Luxembourg city, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) is home to over 41,000 international securities and an equally international variety of teams covering listing, trading, information services and of course, the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX) - the world’s first and still leading platform dedicated to sustainable finance.
By joining LuxSE, you will become part of an independent stock exchange with over 5+ decades of transforming international capital markets.
By joining LuxSE, you will become part of an independent stock exchange with over 5+ decades of transforming international capital markets.
