Scott Cutler is the Head of Listings at the New York Stock Exchange, which means that when a company wants to go public and get listed on the NYSE, they’ve got to go through him first. We asked him about his work and how he got there, and Scott graciously answered.

TILE: What was your first job?
Scott: I was a paper boy!

TILE: How did you end up where you are today?
Scott: I started working as a corporate securities lawyer doing mergers and acquisitions. After that I transitioned to investment banking, working mainly with technology companies in the early days of the Internet. I joined the NYSE Euronext in April of 2006.

TILE: How does what you do affect the world at large? Why should I care about what you do?
Scott: The NYSE is one of the world’s largest financial markets and focuses on efficient trading and raising money for companies (when you buy stock or invest in a company, you are essentially giving the company money). Publicly traded companies employ over 30 million Americans and their families, that is a BIG deal! The NYSE lists over 2,000 companies in a wide variety of industries and I help manage the process of trading and raising capital.

TILE: Do you see more listings (IPOs on the NYSE) now that the economy has bottomed out?
Scott: There has been a large increase in initial public offerings, which started this past fall and will probably continue into 2010. After the crisis, the need for and ability of companies to raise money is very important.

TILE: What’s the best advice you would give to your teenage self?
Scott: Work hard at everything you do, as each step you take prepares you for another.  Life and a career is like climbing a mountain – go a little higher with each step and don’t look back.

>> TILE brings you exclusive opinions, explanations, and interviews from experts in every industry. To read more, click on Ask the Experts in the TILE Library.

Have a burning question or an expert you’d like to see interviewed? Just Ask TILE!