Rachel Wolcott, Fact & Fiction

Rachel L. Wolcott
rachellwolcott@gmail.com

Professional Experience

Freelance journalist (present)
I am currently seeking editing, feature writing and corporate assignments. Clients include: Chartis Research and Euromoney Magazine.

Incisive Media
Risk Magazine, London
European Editor, 1/04-6/07:
• Responsible for researching and writing original feature and news articles covering the global derivatives markets with a focus on credit derivatives for monthly publication. Contribute additional coverage on technology, structured products, pension funds, insurance, mortgage markets and accounting
• Lead writer and researcher for the Italian edition of Risk.
• Contributing topics for articles for special supplements such as credit, emerging markets and hedge funds. Editing some copy for these supplements.
• Establishing close contacts with high-level investment banking officials, investors and consultants.

Institutional Investor Newsletters
BondWeek, London
Senior reporter, 10/01-1/04:
• Contributed 10-11 stories per week for publication in weekly newsletter, concentrating on the European bond markets. Covered structured finance, mortgage and government bond markets as well as economic outlook for European Union countries and UK.
• Received quarterly discretionary bonuses for reporting excellence.

Emerging Markets Week, London & New York
Managing editor, 6/00-10/01:
• Responsible for editing and producing a weekly newsletter aimed at breaking news on the capital markets in developing countries. Managed a staff of three reporters and edited approximately 15 stories per week.
• Contributed 5-7 stories per week covering the Asian capital markets. Also covered Latin America and emerging Europe. Wrote stories on bond and equity issues, corporate finance, capital market trends, investors, local exchanges, investment funds, indexes, hedge funds, venture capital, derivatives and privatisations.
• Created and presented seminars to teach junior staffers about emerging markets, source development and reporting techniques.
• Received quarterly discretionary bonuses for editorial excellence.

Private Asset Management, New York
Managing editor, 10/99-6/00:
• Edited and contributed to a fortnightly newsletter devoted to high-net-worth money management, private banking, private client brokerage and alternative investments (hedge funds, private equity, fund of funds). Wrote 10-12 stories per issue and managed a staff of two reporters.

Reporter, 1/99-10/99:
• Covered the private banking beat and wrote stories about new investment products, marketing strategies, personnel moves and industry trends.

Louis Textiles
Assistant to the President, 11/97–12/98

Van Cleef & Arpels
Import/Export Director, 12/93–12/97

Education

New York University, New York
MA Humanities and Social Science, 1997
• Wrote thesis on Mexican Revolution’s impact on literature. Other research and coursework focused on urban anthropology, literary theory and art history.

Reed College, Portland, Oregon
BA English Literature, 1993
• Wrote thesis on Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses. Completed extensive coursework in literary history and theory, French language and literature and philosophy.
• Served on college newspaper’s editorial board and hosted a jazz show on the campus radio station.
• Received recognition for academic excellence.

Personal details

Born on 22, May 1971, in the United Kingdom, I hold both British and American passports.

Interests

I am a keen reader and theatregoer. I’ve just finished reading When You are Engulfed by Flames by David Sedaris and saw The Minotaur at the Royal Opera House. Five years ago I took up knitting and am in the middle of several projects including a cardigan. I have acquired a lot of yarn. A lot. On holidays I like to visit castles and go on coastal walks.

Blogs

In 2005, year I started a blog about my urban composting project called Early Worm Catches the Bird: www.blog.co.uk/main/index.php/earlyworm. The wormery is till going, but worms aren’t hugely interesting and I’ve started to write about other things on the blog mostly related to so-called green issues.

References & writing samples

Available upon request