Julia McCarthy

Northeastern University, D’Amore McKim School of Business

“A motivated financial feminist who runs on chocolate and coffee.”

Fun fact about yourself: I lived in Spain and Greece during college!

Hometown: Glastonbury, CT

High School: Glastonbury High School

Major: Finance

Minor: Communications

Favorite Business Course: FinTech

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• President & Co-Founder of Disrupt- The FinTech Initiative
• Former Strategic Director of NUImpact, current Associate Director of Development of NUImpact
• Finance Peer Mentor
• Former Executive Vice President of Finance and Investment Club

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Business Analyst Intern at XL Catlin
• Corporate Actions Co-op at Wellington Management Company
• Securities Lending Trading Co-op at Goldman Sachs
• Restructuring Co-op at Alvarez and Marsal

Where will you be working after graduation? Restructuring Analyst at Alvarez and Marsal

What company do you admire the most? Ellevest. Ellevest’s mission is so important to me as a woman in Finance. Ellevest is committed to closing the gender wealth gap and putting more money in the hands of women. The way Ellevest is able to promote their mission while simultaneously creating a strong financial future for so many women is inspiring.

Who is your favorite professor? Mark Bernfeld. Mark has encouraged me to go above and beyond with my academics and extracurriculars. He has supported me through my leadership role at Disrupt and my own personal career journey.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? Co-op! All three of my co-ops challenged me in different ways. The skills I learned on co-op were invaluable and have prepared me immensely as I start my career.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Don’t take no for an answer. If you want something, go get it.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Take time to get to know your peers and create a student professional network for yourself. These peers will be entering the workforce with you at the same time.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? The importance of personal brand socially and professionally. I always knew having a strong personal brand was important, but I did not realize how essential it is to your career in business.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? Co-Founding and serving as President of Disrupt – The FinTech Initiative. The community we created at Northeastern in just three short semesters is astonishing to me. I learned how to motivate a group of students and make a vision come to life. I am so excited to see what the future holds for Disrupt!

Which classmate do you most admire? Jaime Greenwood. Her determination to become a lawyer and create positive change is inspiring. She works so hard and doesn’t give up. I can’t wait to see her leading the legal world one day!

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My parents! None of this would have been possible without them supporting me and encouraging me to keep working hard.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? Do my own Ted Talk. I’m not sure what the topic would be but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do!

Serve at the C-suite level of a fashion or beauty company.

What are your hobbies? Running, working out, music and traveling.

What makes Julia such an invaluable member of the Class of 2020?

“Julia is a leader. Smart, strong, hard-working, determined, she has been a great force for positive change here at Northeastern. The incredible growth of our Fintech community is a wonderful example of how she can, with foresight and passion, motivate others and change the world.

Julia was first exposed to Fintech in my classroom, and she quickly recognized it as a big opportunity, both at Northeastern and in the broad world of Financial Services. So she jumped right in, co-founding Disrupt, Northeastern’s student Fintech Initiative, and rising to co-President. Under her leadership, the group has seen rapid growth in student engagement and has been recognized throughout Boston’s Fintech community and beyond as an emerging force for expertise and talent. Julia has engaged many leaders at established Financial Services companies and at startups, making Northeastern a new hub for Fintech activity.

Julia is also active in many other student organizations, is a strong proponent for women in business, and has great real-world experience through three amazing co-op jobs. And through it all, she remains true to herself, a smart, proud, caring and confident woman.

Congratulations Julia.  Your success is very well deserved, and I can’t wait to see what you do next!”

Mark Bernfeld
McKim Professor of Practice 

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