Julie Armstrong, Convera: Build great teams of people who are smarter than you

Could you share the professional journey thus far that led you to Convera?

I’m Julie Armstrong, based in Chicago, and I serve as the VP, General Manager, Global Head of Industry Solutions & Partnerships at Convera, a global leader in commercial payments. Here, we work to simplify how money moves worldwide, supporting over 26,000 customers in managing complex transactions across borders.

My career spans over 20 years in financial services, starting with a love of languages and travel. Originally from Kentucky, I studied abroad in France and Italy before settling in Chicago, where I launched my finance career. My first major role was at a software company that developed trading algorithms for banks, including Lehman Brothers, who eventually acquired us. This acquisition opened doors for me in finance, placing me in the mix of the market and industry at a high level. Working with Lehman—and later Barclays, after the 2008 financial crisis—was a transformative period, teaching me resilience and adaptability during a time of unprecedented change in finance.

After a successful nine-year stint, I joined CME Group, diving into futures and data management. I spearheaded their co-location services and led technology sales, eventually taking on product and sales leadership. One of my proudest achievements was co-founding CME’s Women’s Initiative Network, supporting gender diversity in finance, and launching a technology conference, CME Tech Talk. It was a fulfilling chapter, but I wanted to expand my horizons, so I moved to Passaic, a fintech startup, learning the fast-paced world of startups and the intensity of building market share from the ground up.

Later, I entered IoT with a cellular tech company, expanding my experience outside finance. This led me to Convera, where I now focus on a broad portfolio that includes NGOs, education, legal, and partnerships. It’s an exciting role that taps into my passion for both finance and economic impact. Now, working alongside brilliant teams here, I’m as energised as ever to continue shaping how money flows in the global economy.

Working in senior roles and the financial and IoT spaces, how have you seen the importance of tech and payments arise in brands and business needs?

Throughout my career, I’ve been focused on commercialising technology with a particular passion for fintech. My experience at CME Group shaped my understanding of tech’s potential to scale, especially through the cloud. Back then, cloud adoption was still in its early stages. I remember the scepticism around its safety—people were cautious about whether private, public, or hybrid cloud could meet the industry’s security standards. However, as we started using cloud to handle vast data sets and deliver them globally, the benefits in efficiency and commercialisation became clear. I was out there discussing with global clients how we were making this transition, and soon, other exchanges wanted to know how they could do the same. It was a breakthrough moment for me to recognise the power of scaling tech.

For companies aiming to scale today, embracing technologies like cloud and embedded APIs is key. Partnerships have become essential, too, because it’s rarely feasible to build every single component in-house. You need to strike a balance between building, buying, and partnering to provide comprehensive solutions. That’s what I learned during my time in IoT, where success depended on stacking technology—combining connectivity, software, and hardware to deliver a seamless IoT solution.

In payments, clients often look for a one-stop solution that covers everything they need. But in a global context, you must also account for regional requirements—navigating sanctions, meeting licensing requirements, or adapting to specific tech. This “macro-to-micro” view is crucial in today’s highly interconnected world, especially in a post-COVID landscape where the need for seamless, scalable money movement has only grown.

Ultimately, I feel fortunate to work with companies that strike that balance between in-house development and strategic partnerships. Here at Convera, we’re constantly evaluating what we can build, where we should buy, and where partnerships will benefit our clients most. It’s an exciting place to be, right at the intersection of global technology and financial innovation.

How do you stay updated with industry trends and innovations to ensure continued success in your role?

For me, staying customer-focused has always been essential. Over my 20+ years in commercial roles, I’ve prioritised getting time with customers because that’s where you learn what’s really going on. I want to know their problems, the technology they’re interested in, the partners they’re considering, and how they’re steering their own businesses. That firsthand insight is irreplaceable.

My colleagues are also invaluable sources of knowledge. We have brilliant people here at Convera, so I make a point to ask questions constantly. I’ll reach out to someone about what they’re working on, who they’re collaborating with, or a new company name that’s popped up. Using internal resources—whether it’s our economics advisors or markets insights teams—gives me a great pulse on industry trends.

Conferences are another big part of how I stay informed. And it’s not just about attending but really walking around, observing the major players, and catching sight of the newer “unicorn” companies. These are often the ones trying to solve niche problems in innovative ways, and learning from them keeps us ahead of the curve.

Of course, there’s also a lot of reading involved. We work with research providers, and I make it a point to stay updated on developments in my specific verticals. Each industry, whether it’s education or global payments, has unique trends and policy shifts. For example, what’s happening in the education sector in Australia could be vastly different from the trends in Canada or India, so it’s crucial to understand these distinctions.

But if I had to pick one method that’s been the most effective, it’s getting out in the field with customers. It’s where the most genuine learning happens.

How do you handle setbacks or failures in your career, and what lessons have you learned from them?

That’s a fantastic question. Setbacks and failures are a part of life—both personally and professionally. I’m not someone who shies away from them. I’ve faced many setbacks, and I genuinely believe that each one has made me stronger.

One of my big challenges was moving from the fintech space, where I had deep roots and a network, into IoT. I’d been well-established in financial services; I knew the industry, knew the people, and had even pioneered some areas. Shifting to IoT was daunting. Suddenly, I had a lot to learn, not just within a new organisation but in an entirely different industry. I’d gone from being well-versed in software, data management, and cloud services applied to finance, to a space where I had to quickly grasp new concepts and connections.

Starting as the chief commercial officer added its own layer of pressure. With nearly 100 people relying on me to set the vision and strategy, I had to dive into learning fast. This experience taught me to embrace the discomfort of not knowing and to actively set priorities for what I needed to learn to lead effectively. It was a humbling process, bringing its share of self-doubt. But ultimately, I found myself with an incredible team, and together, we learned and adapted.

I eventually returned to fintech, but even there, I sought new challenges in different areas of finance, like payments and global services. Each setback reinforced my resilience, and I found that the key was to lean into these moments, not back away. Failure forces us to recognise our accountability and see where we can improve, whether in our approach, our efforts, or simply in how quickly we bounce back.

My mindset has always been about doing the work and having confidence in my ability to learn and adapt. Confidence fluctuates, as it does for everyone, but consistently doing the work grounds me. When we perceive failure, we’re forced to ask ourselves what we could do differently. That kind of self-honesty is essential. It’s taught me to keep challenging my mindset, to stay adaptable, and to keep moving forward, no matter what setbacks arise.

Can you summarise your top-lived tips for succeeding in a commercial career?

I have a mix of traditional and nontraditional approaches to my work. First and foremost, I genuinely love engaging with people. I enjoy interacting with diverse customers across different geographies and cultures, and I naturally gravitated toward a career that lets me do just that. I think that passion for connecting with people is something intrinsic—you either have it or you don’t. For me, it’s about meeting people where they are, understanding their challenges, and finding ways to help solve them.

A nontraditional part of my answer is my focus on fitness and health. In a commercial role like mine, with extensive travel and long, often irregular hours, maintaining mental acuity is crucial. Having a consistent fitness routine helps me stay balanced and resilient. Of course, it’s not perfect every day, but I try to prioritise my health because it positively impacts my work, especially when I’m balancing so many demands.

In commercial roles, striking a balance—both internally and externally—is essential. I often see myself as a pioneer, constantly pushing for more—faster and better solutions for our customers. I’m sure any former managers of mine would agree! I’m deeply driven by the need to advocate for my customers while also understanding the internal capabilities and constraints of what we can realistically deliver. It’s about balancing what we have now with envisioning future possibilities, identifying where our technology can go next, and then working creatively with partnerships to fill in any gaps.

And at the heart of all of this is teamwork. Building strong, dynamic teams has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my work. I’ve been lucky to work with amazing teams who bring a variety of skills and perspectives and are often more intelligent than me in their specialities. Great teams have a unique rhythm and harmony, and when that syncs up, there’s a shared sense of purpose and drive that makes the work rewarding.

So yes, my approach includes customer focus, fitness, balancing internal and external goals, and bringing all of this together through teamwork. These are the things I believe it takes to succeed in a commercial role—and they drive me daily.

Can you share any strategies you’ve used for personal and professional development throughout your career?

I have to give credit to CME Group for their dedication to training; they offered excellent programs for leaders, mid-managers, and individual contributors alike. I deeply value companies that provide solid training programs, especially when they bring in outside perspectives to challenge you to think differently. It’s all too easy to get comfortable within an organisation, so I appreciate it when companies push us out of our echo chambers. Convera offers similar training programs for executives, which I find incredibly valuable.

My connection with women’s networks has been a major constant throughout my career. This aspect has been a true lifeline for me, beginning when I attended Deutsche Bank’s Women on Wall Street conference in my twenties. The energy in that room, the accomplished women, and their impressive backgrounds left a lasting impact on me. Since then, I’ve been passionate about connecting with strong, collaborative women in financial services, and I actively seek out and build relationships with women who champion each other’s success. When I started in the industry, it was predominantly male, sometimes making me feel like the only woman in the room. That reality drove me to seek out supportive women who could offer insights, share experiences, and celebrate wins together.

At CME, I was involved in initiating the Women’s Initiative Network with other colleagues, and that opportunity set the stage for more transformative experiences. During COVID, for instance, I joined a senior women’s executive forum based in London, thanks to my CEO’s support. This group provided mentoring, networking, and coaching, all of which were invaluable, and together, we even collaborated on a book. The women in that network have been incredible supporters and mentors, and they remain a critical part of my professional circle.

My family has been equally essential in my career journey. I’ve always been transparent with them about my ambitions, the time and focus that my career demands, and my commitment to balancing it all. They know they are my priority, and that balance between my family and career means everything to me.

These connections and support systems, from training programs and women’s networks to my family, have played an integral role in my career and remain my sources of inspiration and strength.

How do you define success?

First and foremost, my definition of success centres on my family. Having a healthy and happy family and being in good health is at the core of everything. The balance between work, school, family activities, and daily routines is essential. While I can’t say I strike that balance perfectly every day, I’m continually working toward it.

From a professional standpoint, success for me is all about harmony. I genuinely love my current team, and engaging with them each day to solve problems and explore innovative ideas excites me. My team is diverse, but a common energy and goal brings us together, creating this dynamic harmony. I believe this synergy within our team shines through to our clients, helping us build meaningful relationships. The feeling that we’re making a real difference across various industries and that this impact reaches our clients is incredibly rewarding.

True success for me includes both family and career, though balancing them isn’t always easy. I want to stay engaged and inspired in my work over the long term and be present for my family, regardless of whether I’m travelling or working remotely from home.

Success also involves continual growth—setting goals and moving toward them both personally and professionally. I want to keep evolving in ways that benefit not only me but also my family, my team, and my clients. This ongoing evolution is essential to how I define success.