Julia Lyubomirsky W’99

What did you study at Penn and when did you graduate?

I studied Finance and Accounting at Wharton and graduated with Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1999.

What was your favorite part of Penn/Wharton?

Lifelong friendships, quality of education, the campus and Philly!

What do you do now and where are you based?

I am currently a Senior Vice President of Specialty Partners Marketing at Citi Retail Services. My office is located in the suburbs of Chicago.

What past positions have you held?

After graduating from Wharton, I moved to New York and spent one year with Financial  Advisory Services at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and a few years in the Corporate Finance functions at Viacom. I quickly realized that I was passionate about Marketing and decided to take time off to complete my MBA at University of Michigan.  I was not ready to separate myself from NYC and came back after business school, joining Citigroup as a Management Associate.  I was drawn to the program and the company as Financial Services Marketing would be an ideal way to combine my analytical background (Finance concentration at Wharton) and my interests in the psychological marketing element of an intangible credit card product. I have spent over 16 years at Citi and moved to our Chicago office about 13 years ago, where I lead marketing strategy for various credit card portfolios across several retail industries. My responsibilities include acquisition and lifecycle strategies, customer value proposition, and client relationship management.

What is the best thing you have read lately?

I just finished Where the Crawdads Sing and a very charming children’s book The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo that I read to my youngest daughter.  Prior to that, I really enjoyed The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout.  She really has a unique ability to humanize the characters in all of her books.  

What has been your proudest accomplishment of your career?

Receiving an award for my management style and proactive team culture from my team.  I always felt that being a strong leader and a manager exemplified being able to grow but taking your team with you through coaching and developmental opportunities. The award took me by surprise and meant a lot coming from the people that I was managing.    

What has been the biggest challenge of your career?

I was asked to launch a digital wallet online payment solution in the Healthcare space and develop a comprehensive marketing plan within a week in a new role. This assignment ended up lasting about a year and was one of the most rewarding and exciting projects I led, as it truly forced me to exist outside of my comfort zone as the industry was new to me at the time, but encompassed an ability to form a strong marketing plan and lead large teams which was extremely gratifying.  

How do you balance your personal life with your professional development?

I’ll be honest, it’s not easy! I have always been extremely driven and career oriented, but once I had kids, I had a strong sense of the fact that family always comes first.  At the same time, I enjoy working and strive to be challenged.  I think the key is to focus on what is important to YOU in that particular time in your life.  When my second child was born eight years ago, I decided to take six months off.  Once I was back at work, I worked on a project that I loved but that required a serious commitment and a lot of “after work” hours.  During that time, my family worked together to achieve the balance we needed.  There is always a solution and it might look different than what you have imagined when you were in your 20s or studying at Penn.  Be open to change and to re-evaluating your goals and interests as you grow.  

What advice do you have for our members as they begin exploring careers and internships? 

Be yourself! It’s important to find a balance between growth and challenge but still love your work.  People are important.  Managers are important.  Don’t be complacent and don’t settle! Be open to change as your interests and passion might still transform more than once.  

What’s your favorite thing to do for fun?

TRAVEL! As well as art, reading, cheering for my kids in soccer, and spending time with family and friends. 

What’s your favorite place you’ve ever been?

My favorite two cities are Barcelona and Paris. Once COVID is over, my husband and I can’t wait to go back and introduce these cities to our daughters.