{"id":1681,"date":"2018-03-29T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2018-03-29T13:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1681"},"modified":"2018-03-28T20:51:24","modified_gmt":"2018-03-29T00:51:24","slug":"julia-odonnell-lindsay-weichert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1681","title":{"rendered":"Julia O’Donnell & Lindsay Weichert"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mentoring and Diversity\u00a0<\/em><\/h1>\n

By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Mary Grace Johnson<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Julia O\u2019Donnell and Lindsay Weichert have a lot to share, be it about banking, diversity or local economic development. Though they might be young, they\u2019re mentors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about sharing your knowledge and your experience with others,\u201d Julia said.<\/p>\n

The two met through their careers at M&T Bank. While different paths led the women to their jobs, they\u2019ve both become invested in the Syracuse community.<\/p>\n

The importance of communication<\/h4>\n

Julia, a self-proclaimed \u201cnorth country girl,\u201d grew up in a transient military family, eventually settling in Watertown for her high school years.<\/p>\n

Having moved every few years as a child, Julia was always the new girl in school. Through learning to put herself out there, she developed communication and people skills at an early age.<\/p>\n

She thought her path after high school would lead her to a career in the military, like most of her family.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor some reason, I just couldn\u2019t jump fully on board, though,\u201d Julia said. \u201cI felt like I needed to see what my other options were.\u201d<\/p>\n

She decided to start with baby steps, earning an associate degree at Bryant & Stratton College. Then, while beginning her professional career, she earned a bachelor\u2019s degree, starting at Le Moyne College and completing through University of Phoenix Online.<\/p>\n

Julia eventually took a position with ADP. While it was an intense experience, she learned to build thick skin, talk to people and overcome rejection, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helped to build on some of the skills that I\u2019d already learned naturally from just having to meet people and put myself out there,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

Working in that field enabled Julia to build relationships with bankers. One day, a man she worked with asked her if she\u2019d every considered being a banker.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo way,\u201d she answered. \u201cDefinitely not.\u201d<\/p>\n

But she was willing to have a conversation about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes you don\u2019t really know the direction your life is going to take,\u201d Julia said. \u201cBut what I love is that I was in a place in my life that I was just open.\u201d<\/p>\n

She decided to dive into the banking industry, taking a position at HSBC. Adjusting to the new field took time. There was much to learn, and though ADP had taught her a lot, Julia still felt she\u00a0wasn\u2019t necessarily coming to the table with the same set of skills as everyone else.<\/p>\n

Eventually, she realized she\u2019d forgotten an important fact: people skills are invaluable. She\u2019d been developing those for years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I realized that, it was a huge weight off my shoulders, because I could embrace it,\u201d Julia said.<\/p>\n

After she parted ways with HSBC, Julia didn\u2019t want to jump right back into banking. She needed to go where she thought her heart was, she said. After some research into M&T Bank, though, she decided it would be a great fit.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a great experience so far, Julia reflected. The people she\u2019s worked with have shown her how to succeed not just in her career, but in life.<\/p>\n

Breathing life into the cityscape<\/h4>\n

Lindsay\u2019s path to the banking industry was slightly different from Julia\u2019s. A Syracuse native, she only left the Central New York area a handful of times before going to college at St. Lawrence University.<\/p>\n

Wanting a different experience after college, she ventured to New York City, where she began her career at Fitch Ratings and earned a master\u2019s degree from New York University. She enjoyed the city and her job, but realized she missed the community and connectivity of Central New York.<\/p>\n

Eventually, she returned to the area. The work she\u2019d done at Fitch Ratings, analyzing a variety of investment products, was one step away from the banking industry, she explained. She\u2019d known people who had transitioned from rating agencies to work for a bank. Like Julia, she researched M&T Bank, and then took a position as portfolio manager.<\/p>\n

Upon becoming reacquainted with the city, Lindsay realized what her hometown had to offer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel that this is actually a world-class city,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s proud to have been involved in projects that helped breathe life back old downtown buildings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can look out the window, and M&T probably financed or had a part in half the buildings up and down Salina Street,\u201d Lindsay said, gesturing to the cityscape. \u201cIt\u2019s a really awesome feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the projects Lindsay was involved with was Ed Riley\u2019s revitalization of Hotel Syracuse, now Marriott Syracuse Downtown. While other people in her field didn\u2019t see the plausibility of the project, she thought, \u201cWhy can\u2019t it happen?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindsay and the team spent time with Ed and his team to understand his vision and aid in the creative process however they could.<\/p>\n

It was really a collaborative community project, she said, adding that the hotel has generated about 260 jobs (not including construction jobs), approximately 140 of them employing people from low-income areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is why we do this job,\u201d Lindsay said, \u201cto be able to enable impassioned entrepreneurs from this community to build economic development projects in this community, just to help everything around them \u2014 it\u2019s incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

CNY Mentorship Program<\/h4>\n

Lindsay and Julia got to know each other better by co-creating M&T Bank\u2019s CNY Mentorship Program. The program\u2019s goal is to promote accessible career paths for diverse candidates. The idea grew out of experiences and conversations the women had with other women in the community, such as women\u2019s forums. The need for and importance of mentorship opportunities was evident.<\/p>\n

Being the first person in her family to earn a four-year degree sometimes made Julia feel like she was lacking, she remembered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI needed to get rid of that story,\u201d she said, \u201cbecause when I talk to my coworkers and I share about my life and I learn about them, I realize that we have something in common.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what diversity means to her. As a Latina woman, it\u2019s important to Julia to promote workplace diversity, she explained. She hopes to be an example not only to other young women, but also her young daughter.<\/p>\n

Lindsay is currently chair of the mentorship program committee and Julia serves as a mentor.<\/p>\n

In the half-year since the program was launched, it\u2019s already made an impact, Lindsay said, citing Julia\u2019s mentee as a prime example.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the four to six months since this program has started, some of the people walking around this bank just carry themselves differently,\u201d Lindsay said with a smile. SWM<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mentoring and Diversity\u00a0 By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Mary Grace Johnson Julia O\u2019Donnell and Lindsay Weichert have a lot to share, be it about banking, diversity or local economic development. Though they might be young, they\u2019re mentors. \u201cIt\u2019s about sharing your knowledge and your experience with others,\u201d Julia said. The two met through their…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[572,595,596,133,597,160,573],"class_list":["post-1681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-april-2018","tag-julia-odonnell","tag-lindsay-weichert","tag-lorna-oppedisano","tag-mt-bank","tag-mary-grace-johnson","tag-the-entrepreneurship-edition"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/LindseyJulia-12-1.jpg?fit=5200%2C3448&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1050,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1050","url_meta":{"origin":1681,"position":0},"title":"Julia Ebner","author":"Staff","date":"August 31, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A Flexible Balancing Act By Dara McBride | Photography by Mary Grace Johnson At 5 a.m., professional opera singer Julia Ebner wakes up. 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But he\u2019s on a mission to change that. \u201cWe want to make insurance fun,\u201d he said.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/JoeSWM-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C783&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/JoeSWM-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C783&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/JoeSWM-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C783&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/JoeSWM-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C783&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/JoeSWM-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C783&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1047,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1047","url_meta":{"origin":1681,"position":3},"title":"Tammy Wilkinson","author":"Staff","date":"August 31, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Theater for the Senses By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Mary Grace Johnson Theatre Du Jour founder Tammy Wilkinson is changing the meaning of \u201ctheater.\u201d With her 3-year-old business, Tammy aims to facilitate as much interaction as possible amongst everyone involved, from theater-goers to performers. \u201cYou can see a show\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/TammySep2017-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/TammySep2017-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/TammySep2017-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/TammySep2017-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/TammySep2017-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1552,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1552","url_meta":{"origin":1681,"position":4},"title":"Kristy Smorol","author":"Staff","date":"February 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Defining Inspiration\u00a0 By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Mary Grace Johnson\u00a0 If you\u2019d have asked Kristy Smorol if she was inspirational when she was 8 or 9 years old, she\u2019d probably have told you she was just living her day-to-day life. 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