The Spaces That Shape Us: Linda Robb
Linda Robb - Head of Data Operations, 9fin
Like most people, I didn’t grow up dreaming of working in debt capital markets, but I’m very glad I found my way here, even if it’s been a slightly unusual route, from farming to fintech.
At 9fin, we provide data, analytics, predictive tools and news aggregation to companies operating in the debt capital markets, the world’s largest asset class. To put that in perspective, global debt markets are worth around $141 billion, significantly larger than the equity markets.
Yet while stock market information is electronic, immediate and abundant, debt markets remain surprisingly analogue. Data is slow to arrive, fragmented, and in some cases still shared by phone, or even by fax, in 2025! Our mission at 9fin is to change that. And our growing Data Operations team in Belfast plays a central role; driving speed, quality, and scalability in everything we deliver.
Like a lot of people these days, I took a non-traditional route to get here. In the early noughties, I started down the solicitor path – completing a law degree while working in paralegal roles in the public sector and local firms.
During those years, Belfast was changing – the impact of the Good Friday Agreement was starting to be realised, and the city was beginning to attract new international investment. That shift really accelerated when Allen & Overy became the first international law firm to open an office in Belfast in 2011. I took a part-time summer job in their founding team and ended up staying for ten years.
Belfast goes international
Before the mid-2000s, roles involving global teams in the legal sector were almost unheard of in Belfast. That changed in 2002 with the formation of InvestNI, which began actively attracting international firms to Northern Ireland. When I graduated, a law degree mostly presented two options – become a solicitor or a barrister, and work for a local firm. The arrival of international firms changed that landscape completely. Their size and complexity opened new career paths, in legal operations, technology, financial services, and more.
What drew me to Allen & Overy was the chance to work on complex, high-stakes tasks with global teams. Once there, I realised I was far more energised by the fast-paced, problem-solving world of legal operations than by the traditional route to qualification. Over time, I made a deliberate decision to stay in legal operations.
I spent the next ten years working across legal technology and business services, managing global teams and supporting cross-border work. It was a formative period that shaped both my leadership style and the way I think about service delivery at scale.
In 2021, I became Belfast Site Lead for Ogletree Deakins, where I was the first employee in a brand new Global Solutions Centre. Over the next 18 months, we built a team of more than 100 and delivered over £2.5m in new employment to Northern Ireland, exceeding our three-year growth targets in half the time.
New pursuit, familiar commute
In June last year, after two decades in law, I was ready for something new. 9fin offered the ideal next step – combining technology, operations, and leadership in a high-growth fintech environment. I hadn’t worked in financial services directly, but I’d supported complex deals before, and the chance to bring together my experience in law, tech, and people leadership was too good to pass up.
Our Data Operations team launched in Belfast on 1 May 2024 with a small group focused on the speed and quality of data. Since then, we’ve grown to over 50 people and now play a central role in how data reaches our platform, powers new products, and scales with the business. I’m responsible for growing and managing that team, and for constantly improving how we work – operationally, technically, and culturally.
Curiously, while the work is new, the space is not. In a surprising twist, I found myself right back where I’d launched a previous venture. 9fin set up in exactly the same Glandore suite that Ogletree Deakins had used in 2021. It was great to be back, and even better to be welcomed again by Áine, Nial and Angela, whose warmth and hospitality are a big part of what makes Glandore stand out.
The space that shaped me most? Home.
Professionally, I’ve worked in offices across four continents – from a portacabin outside a courthouse in County Down, to the state-of-the-art premises of a magic circle law firm that featured everything from priceless art and an in-house ballroom, to sleeping pods and even a Michelin-trained pâtissier, just in case you needed a last-minute birthday cake.
But the space that shaped me most was the family dairy and beef farm in County Antrim, where I grew up, and still live today.
As a child, I spent a lot of time during school holidays helping to milk cows, feed cattle, or drive tractors during the silage harvest. I also spent hours by my father’s side when buyers or suppliers came to the yard – he loves a good yarn, and he loves doing a deal, and those conversations were as much about relationships as they were about transactions.
There are constant challenges on a farm, from everyday practical ones like a sick animal, a broken-down robotic milking machine, or bad weather, to more existential ones that affect the profitability of the business: new legislation, supply chain disruption, rising input costs. And when those challenges arise, you have to figure them out yourself. The cavalry isn’t coming. That sense of personal ownership, of being the one who has to make it work, has been deeply ingrained in me.
One of the most important ways of dealing with those issues is having a strong local network. Being able to call on others – to swap ideas, compare notes, or collaborate on new processes – invaluable. That includes figuring out how technology can improve efficiency, safety, or environmental impact. Whether it’s farming or a fintech, the value of personal relationships, knowledge-sharing and collaboration is exactly the same.
Spaces that fit the moment
Over the years, I’ve come to realise that different spaces inspire us in different ways depending on what we need at the time. At 9fin, flexibility matters. I spend much of my time reviewing documentation or on calls with colleagues in London and New York, so I often work from the calm of my home office. It also allows me to be closer to family and to help out on the farm when needed. That balance is important. “Family and health come first” is one of 9fin’s company values, and we mean it.
But when I’m in the Belfast office, it’s the people and the interactions that really matter. “Make time for others” is another of our values, and spaces like Glandore help bring that to life. Whether it’s a casual catch-up on the sofa, a quick chat at the coffee machine, or a team lunch in the Club Room, these moments make a real difference. Everyone’s busy, but taking ten minutes to support or connect with a colleague really matters, and the right space helps make that happen.
Another great thing about Glandore is its community. There are regular events to meet people from other companies, and you frequently bump into others throughout the building. Problem-solving is easier when you have a strong local network. On a farm, that might mean suppliers, neighbours or the farmers’ union. In an office, it’s other startups and tech companies. Swapping notes, crowdsourcing advice or bouncing thoughts off others can really help. No matter the setting, relationships offer invaluable support.
The best way to extend that network is face-to-face. It can be done virtually, but it’s harder. Having a community of like-minded people under one roof creates chances for meaningful connection, sometimes by pure chance, and I’ve found relationships grow best through consistent, everyday interaction.
This is especially important for many of our team who graduated during Covid and missed out on the usual in-person experiences. Here, they’re able to get to know others, build a network, and find mentors, naturally, through those everyday moments. That kind of community can be the difference between surviving and thriving.
It’s been great being back in Glandore, though if I could change one thing, I would definitely do without Belfast’s infamous Jelvis Plevis busker, just up the street, providing the soundtrack to my afternoon calls.
Read more about Glandore’s Flexible Workspaces
