The Secured Lender Women in Commercial Finance and CFA 40 Under 40 Awards Honors Julia Voytovych
Julia is a senior consultant working from the Connecticut office of Rosenberg and Fecci Consulting, LLC, a New Jersey-based firm specializing in due diligence and financial business services with a focus on field examinations. In her capacity as an engagement leader, she has been involved in evaluating collateral for transactions ranging from $1MM to $400MM in various industries including technology, services, logistics, apparel, finance and manufacturing.
In 12 years with the firm, Julia has taken on increasing responsibilities as an analyst, senior analyst and in her current position as a consultant. Julia has been involved in a wide scope of engagements ranging from “plain vanilla” ABL collateral exams to emerging lending facility structures, based on monthly recurring revenue. Julia was born and raised in Ukraine where she received her Master’s degree in Marketing. After moving to the United States, she decided to diversify her expertise and pursued a degree in Finance from Rutgers University. Julia’s dual degree and international work experience adds to her value in the firm and makes her a well-rounded industry professional.
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Embrace challenges. Strive to add value to your organization. Plan your career early; however, do not be afraid to deviate from your plan, as you may miss great opportunities.
Julia Voytovych
Senior Consultant, Rosenberg and Fecci Consulting
What advice would you offer to women just starting out in the industry?
Be eager to learn and explore every opportunity to gain experience within the industry you are in. Do not treat your job as “routine”; rather, use every opportunity as a valuable experience to expand or refine your skillset. Homework did not stop at school, and will not stop in your professional career. You need to be well prepared for each day, and the extra time spent developing and improving your skills will benefit you greatly in the future. Do not be afraid to make mistakes; however, you must learn from your mistakes.
Embrace challenges. Strive to add value to your organization. Plan your career early; however, do not be afraid to deviate from your plan, as you may miss great opportunities.Good work ethic is crucial and will be recognized.
What do you know now that you wish you knew in the beginning of your career?
In the beginning of my career, perfectionism was my priority. What I have learned during my time in the industry is that perfectionism is not a realistic goal; however, thoroughness and attention to detail need to go hand-in-hand with time management and the ability to prioritize. Ability to couple scrupulous character and effective time management will play a pivotal role in a career development. It is important to be humble, however you should not be afraid to voice your ideas and be ready to stand behind your position. It is very important to realize there will be instances where you may be proven incorrect, however, it should not stop you from expressing your thoughts and ideas. It is important to acknowledge and work on your weaknesses; however, your weaknesses should not be a hurdle to your success.
What kind of role has mentoring and/or sponsorship played in your career?
I have been extremely fortunate to be part of an incredible team at Rosenberg and Fecci and consider every instance of working with my colleagues as a mentoring opportunity. The firm’s environment and culture is built on mentorship as senior management is greatly involved and contributes to the growth of each employee. Knowing that every question or concern will be addressed gave me comfort and confidence, especially in early stages of my career. As my career progresses, I've had the opportunity to mentor junior colleagues and have found this to be a very rewarding experience. Not a single textbook can give you a holistic view on how to perform certain work, given specific circumstances, while a good mentor can.
What do you think the industry could do to attract and retain the best and the brightest today?
It is important for any industry to have leaders that trust and believe in employees and it should be done on a macro level. I am grateful to the Rosenberg and Fecci partners as they believed in me, gave me opportunity and provided great encouragement on every step of my career. Having been born outside the United States, language skills were and still are one of my weaknesses, however, management did not see this as an obstacle and helped me to improve in this area and build confidence. In response to how the industry could attract and retain talent, my advice is to continue to break down barriers to entry and continue to remove “labels” from people and offer non-exclusive opportunities to young professionals, for women etc. It should not matter what sex, race, nationality, religion, age you are.
This article was featured in The Secured Lender: The Women in Commercial Finance 2018 Issue
