Kaela Finegan interned with Northern Trust in the summer of 2021 within our Hedge Fund Services team and then joined our Rotational Development Program upon her graduation. Her first rotation was in Asset Servicing on the Data Warehouse Solutions team, then she moved over to the Wealth Management business unit as a full stack software engineer for the Goals Driven Wealth Management team. Now she is on her final rotation with the Algorithmic Advice team creating an artificial intelligence (AI) instance for Northern Trust to support financial advisors, focusing more closely on the front end user interface (UI).

  

Describe your role at Northern Trust

I am a full stack software engineer - meaning I write code for both the front end user interface and the back end behind-the-scenes functionality. I am currently working on a project creating a website with our own AI chatbot to support our financial advisors. Because the project is in its infancy, most of my work involves coding and researching new technologies that we can utilize at each step along the way.

 

Describe your team

Since the project started not too long ago, there are only a few others I work with. I work closely with Kelvin Xie as he spearheads the app. Siddhesh Sawant oversees the architecture, Sharmila Sudharsanam is our scrum master and Subbarao Mandavilli & Leeanna Cahue oversee the project/team. Each of the members on my team are also involved with other teams across both the business side and technology side of Wealth Management, offering unique perspectives. We are all located in Chicago. 

 

Take us through how you ended up at Northern Trust? What brought you here?

I grew up in Chicago, so I have always known about Northern Trust and jumped at the opportunity when I saw a Northern Trust job posting on my college’s career matching site. I interned with Hedge Fund Services in the summer of 2021 and enjoyed the team, work and culture so much that I knew I wanted to stay!

Upon graduation, I decided to apply for the Rotational Development Program instead of joining my internship team directly because I was not sure what I wanted to do for my career in the long term and appreciated the opportunity to get to know the roles available throughout the bank better. I am currently on the third and last rotation within the program and foresee myself joining one of the teams I rotated on at the conclusion of the program in July.

 

What are you most proud of in your career at Northern Trust so far? 

Shortly after I started full time at Northern Trust, Peter Stathulis and I created the Early Career Talent (ECT) committee with the encouragement of Rich Stone and Mary Ann Stanton. This is a committee whose members include any partners who are in their early career (5-7 years out of college).

We put together monthly speakers on technology topics such as cloud, data analytics, and machine learning.

We also put together volunteering events, networking events, tech demos and provided opportunities to talk to leaders within Northern Trust technology. This was especially important at a time following covid where there were not many opportunities to connect with people in person.

 

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Can you describe a particular project you’ve worked on that you loved and what was great about the experience?

I am most excited about the project I am working on currently with my team - the AI chatbot web application to support financial advisors - for several reasons. I was able to join the project at the onset so I feel familiar with the codebase and feel I am able to contribute a lot. There are also a lot of opportunities for me to have the freedom to make impactful decisions on the design of the project.

Not to mention we are using the newest, most exciting technologies available, especially within Northern Trust. We are nowhere near the end result yet, but so far we have a web application in which a user is prompted to ask any financial question. There are guardrails for the user inquiries and documents that the AI parses through to respond appropriately. 

 

 

What’s a typical “day-in-the-life” at Northern Trust look like for you?

Typically I have a standup call in the morning with the other teams within Northern Trust working on AI projects, then I work on the next steps for our project the rest of the day whether that be coding a new interface design or adding functionality. I usually check in with my team members for a chat once a day.

On an ideal day, I also have an ECT (Early Career Talent) committee event of some sort - happy hour, networking, speaker, etc.

 

When did you realize that Northern Trust was a good fit for your career?

When I interned with Northern Trust, I was able to go beyond hearing about Northern’s culture and experience it. I found that they truly practice what they preach. Everyone was very encouraging of me and building my career.

They are also a company that gives back to the surrounding community, which was very important to me. Every location that has a Northern Trust office provides some benefit to the surrounding area which is unique.

Northern Trust is also a company that celebrates their peoples’ accomplishments. There is a reason there are so many that have been with the company for decades. With my team in particular, I like that everyone comes into the office and I am able to connect in person when working through issues.

 

What technology/technologies have you been excited to work with here at Northern Trust?

Right now my team is working with OpenAI as well as all the subsequent new technologies that come with that such as Microsoft Document Intelligence Studio, text embedding models, etc.

On my previous rotation we were also working on a web app, though I joined the project a couple years in after they had completed their MVP (minimum viable product) and was implementing additional functionality. I was excited to find that the project was utilizing the latest development technologies/languages such as TypeScript, React, SpringBoot, etc.

 

How do you keep your skills fresh?

Beyond subscribing to tech newsletters to hear about new tech, I like to always have a certification in the works.

First I completed our employee led Women in Leadership Business Resource Council’s Strengthening Your Foundation certification which taught me a lot about capital markets within the asset servicing business unit.

Then I took the Azure Fundamentals certification and finally am studying for the Azure AI Fundamentals certification. Our online training platform, Northern Trust University, is great for building my foundational skills needed for working at a bank, as well as gaining knowledge on area of Northern Trust I want to learn more about.

 

How has Northern Trust supported your career objectives / development?

Northern Trust has a culture that actively supports learning and development. I am always finding out about opportunities to join a certification study group, business school information session, speed networking, randomized coffee chats, etc. Senior management celebrates those who accomplish their objectives and continue their learning journey and are easily accessible through group event and in one-on-one settings.

 

What’s unique about Northern Trust’s culture that enables you to create, innovate, make an impact or lead effectively?

The people here truly want me to succeed and to help build my career. Everyone is happy to put me in touch with a colleague who can help me and provide a new perspective. There is a culture of curiosity that encourages me to keep learning and honing my skills. There are also plenty of opportunities to be a leader within their committees and business resource councils. What makes the biggest difference day to day is that everyone is happy to be at work.

 

What has surprised you most about life at Northern Trust so far?

I was surprised that although Northern Trust is such a large company, I still receive the attention and connections of a small one. It is a tight community.

I have developed strong relationships with my coworkers since I started, outside of work as well. There are also many social events with my team, our larger business group, the Rotational Development Program, the Early Career Talent Committee and the Business Resource Councils I am part of.

I am also always in awe by the amount of people from my personal life who work at Northern Trust - friends from high school, parents of friends, etc.

 

How do you create a balance between work and home?

I try to stay organized so I can plan out all the tasks I need to get done for the week. But inevitably, things will pop up that you did not account for. Therefore I try to focus on and appreciate the work I have accomplished each day rather than what I wish I had gotten to. When it comes to friends, family and alone time, I have also found it beneficial to plan time for it, as well as be fully present during that time. That helps me stay accountable for my wellbeing and relationships.

 

How does Northern Trust support your goals outside the office?

Volunteering is very important to me. Northern Trust not only values the importance of giving back, but they actively encourage it by giving us 2 days off a year to volunteer. They also always have volunteering events available year round, food drives and clothing drives - especially during the month of October which is our signature volunteer month.

 

What would you say to someone considering a career at Northern Trust?  

It is a great place to work!

I am excited about my job, both the work I do and the opportunities afforded to me. And the work life balance is great. But what really makes Northern Trust special are the people.

 

What advice would you give to someone beginning their career at Northern Trust?

Don’t be afraid to reach out to people you don’t know for coffee chats to find out more about them and their roles. Networking is very important for your career, your connections and to your personal development. You can narrow down your likes and interests by talking to people around the organization and find out about positions and opportunities you wouldn’t have known about otherwise. Northern Trust partners as a whole are very encouraging and we do have a “coffee chat culture”.

 

Do you have any other career tips you would give to candidates interested in working for Northern Trust?

Keeping up with what is current in your field is very important. It is up to you to continue learning on your own so you can provide the greatest benefit within your job. I highly encourage certifications.

 

Fast Facts

Name - Kaela Finegan

Role - Rotational Development Associate

Business Unit - Wealth Management

Geographic Location - Chicago

Education - Bachelor’s Degree

Any additional certifications - Azure Fundamentals Certification; Women In Leadership Strengthening Your Foundation

Hometown / where are you living now - Hometown: Glenview, IL; Living now: Gold Coast, Chicago

Do you have a pet(s)? 2 dogs – Ovechkin and TJ

Where do you volunteer your time? Instituto del Progreso Latino, Chicago Jesuit Academy, Hope Chicago, Chicago Greater Food Depository

What are you reading / podcast recommendation - My favorite book is Devil in the White City

Favorite sports team - Chicago Blackhawks

Comfort food - Cheeseburger & fries

Best advice you’ve received (work or non-work related) - Always say yes!

If you could have dinner with any person alive today, who would it be - Kimberly Bryant or Pete Kadens

Describe Northern Trust in one word - Community

 

 

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