September 11, 2023

Driving Digital Transformation at Northern Trust

Members of our Wealth Management digital services team sat down recently with BuiltIn to talk about their career journeys here at Northern Trust and the role they are playing in our digital transformation.  Watch the video here and read on to learn more about Emily’s career journey below. And stay tuned for future in-depth stories from Andy and Lucino.

Wealth Management Digital Services: Careers in AI, machine learning, data, analytics and the cloud. Watch here.

Emily Reagan’s Career Journey at Northern Trust

I'm Emily Reagan and I'm a journey owner in our wealth management digital services team.

As a Journey Owner in Digital Services I’m responsible for setting the vision for our new client experience and delivering capabilities to simplify and modernize the ways we support our clients.

How would you describe the, essence or the feel, heart and soul of Northern Trust?

Northern Trust is a huge global organization, but things feel very personal here. We are socially conscious and embrace diversity.

You can see it in the way our management team leads with integrity and the way that Northern Trust acts in the communities that we operate in, that it's a place that you can feel proud about working for.

What does it mean to work at Northern Trust?

For me, Northern Trust really tries to operate around three core principles, service, integrity, and expertise, and you really see that in everything that we do. You feel supported and you can definitely see it in the way that Northern Trust operates in our communities. Sponsoring volunteer events is just one way that the organization embraces those core principles.

How do you feel knowing that you work in an organization that is socially responsible and gives back to its community?

One really cool thing I love about working here is that Northern Trust actually designates a number of days each year when employees are encouraged to take time to participate in volunteering events that are close to their hearts.

So what is it like to grow your career in Northern Trust?

Northern Trust really is an awesome place to grow your skills and try new things. I've worked here for more than 16 years now. And that's in large part because of the people and the relationships I've made while I'm here. But it's also because I've had the opportunity to do so many different things and develop my skills.

I've been able to spend time in client services working as a trust advisor in our global family office group, and now I'm leading a product team in digital services. It's an organization that embraces internal mobility.

Northern Trust also has comprehensive benefits, and as a mother I can say the emphasis that the leadership team puts on work-life balance is really important to me and I'll never forget returning from maternity leave and learning that Northern Trust actually employed a part-time nurse to support new mothers returning to work. That one example showcases the sort of support you feel here as an employee.

What do you think would surprise people about Northern Trust culture?

Well, I think a lot of people think of Northern Trust as a really conservative bank, which in a lot of ways is true, but we're actually doing a lot of really innovative things and we take a user and client centered approach to all of our innovation.

What are some of the innovative things that you are working on?

So on my team, we're focused on wealth management, client onboarding, and looking after our product offerings, whether it's trust or banking, and thinking about how we can deliver solutions that make our new clients feel welcome and like they've made the right choice to give their business to Northern Trust.

So, tell us, how do you have fun at Northern Trust?

You know, I've worked here for so long that some of my closest friends are people that I've met here at Northern. Just last week we, we had a fun event where on Friday we designated a couple hours of the day and had a NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) watch party.

People brought in dishes that they made from home. We ordered pizza. It was like food overload! We watched basketball, hung out together and its these events that help build and develop a tight-knit culture which is really important here.

I believe having some fun helps us all be better at our jobs.

Would you describe Northern Trust as analytical or creative?

Both! We are definitely using analytics to focus our priorities and making sure that we have measurable value behind all the work that we're doing.

But creativity is definitely encouraged. I feel very empowered to explore new things and to think in a different way.

Fast answers

Would you describe the culture here, as heads down or heads together?

Heads together.

Would you describe Northern Trust as Shakespeare or Einstein?

Oh, I'm going to go with Shakespeare.

If Northern Trust were a sport, what sport would it be?

Soccer. Full of teamwork, things are fast paced and we often pivot and change directions.

If you could describe your company culture in three words, what three words would you choose?

Supportive, authentic, fun.

If you were to describe the people you work with in three words, what three words would you pick?

Brilliant, dedicated, open-minded. 

Careers at Northern Trust

Come find your greater at Northern Trust. Review our open roles here.