Julia Pomer is the Director of Wholesale DACH at ThomasLloyd Group and a member of the Fondsfrauen Young Talents & Swiss Committees. In 2022, she won the Fondsfrauen Award in the Young Professionals category. In the interview, she talks about her unconventional entry into the financial industry and her work with Fondsfrauen.
Julia, you originally studied law. How did you eventually come to the financial industry?
After my long law studies and many years in a commercial law firm, I wanted to use the long break between my written and oral state exams to gain some distance from law. During an interview at Lazard for an assistant position in portfolio management, I was spontaneously offered a position in the Legal & Compliance Team. Although I actually wanted a break from law, the then managing director convinced me. After almost two years, an internal opportunity arose to join the sales team and help build the Wholesale Team. Fortunately, I took this chance, so I stayed not only in the financial industry but also in sales!
You recently became a mother. How are you and your baby, and how was your return to work?
We are doing very well, thank you! I was fortunate to be able to take a longer baby break, unlike most new mothers in Switzerland, so we were even able to spend 3 months in Argentina with family. However, when I returned to work at the beginning of the year after 11 months, it was, of course, a bit of an adjustment because suddenly my day was no longer determined by my son. But it's really nice to be back, doing something for myself, and I was very excited to see my colleagues and clients again. Even the events and business trips are appreciated in a whole new way.
Why is it important for women to build a professional network early on?
In my opinion, it's not just important for women but everyone should build a professional network early. However, I think men do this automatically during their studies, while women unfortunately often start too late or not at all. A professional network is very important for successful career planning. Networking not only creates interesting contacts but also provides access to resources, information, mentoring, and support that can help advance one's career. Additionally, a strong network can help build self-confidence, improve self-marketing, visibility, and thus create new opportunities in the working world.
What does it mean to you to be part of the Young Professionals Initiative and the Buddy Program of Fondsfrauen?
I was very happy when Fondsfrauen approached me about joining. On one hand, because I can give something back to the community, which my own mentoring program enabled me to do, and on the other hand, because it's a lot of fun to regularly exchange ideas with the buddies and learn a lot myself. Additionally, it's very exciting to see how others from the Young Professional Committee prepare their breakout sessions and what topics are currently important and relevant to their buddies.
In 2022, you were awarded the Fondsfrauen Award "Role Model of the Year". What does this award mean to you?
I am still quite overwhelmed that I had the honor of receiving such a wonderful award, especially since I was nominated alongside two very impressive women. I was particularly moved by the kind words written about me. Additionally, the award is very beautiful, so it stands on our bookshelf at home, where my husband also enjoys it (laughs).
Simin Heuser is a freelancer and works for various investment fund companies and financial firms. She also writes as a freelance author on financial and insurance topics.