A Marathoner Pushing Herself and NeuGroup To Support Treasury
# People and Talent
# What’s Neu
A new What’s Neu video with NeuGroup marketing director Julie Zawacki-Lucci on challenging herself and strengthening member connection through clear communication.
Justin Jones
Personal and professional growth often requires taking risks and heading down unfamiliar roads full of challenges outside your comfort zone—an experience NeuGroup’s Director of Marketing Julie Zawacki-Lucci knows well. She tells me all about her journey—including running marathons—in the latest episode of the What’s Neu (pronounced “noy”) video series.
Julie didn’t plan a career in finance. But after living in London and Dublin, she returned to the U.S. and was encouraged by a mentor to consider a role in treasury. “A background in finance will never hurt you,” the person told her. “You’ll always need to know about finance, no matter what field you go into.”
Julie’s treasury experience spans capital markets and FX risk management roles at Hasbro and CVS Health. What began as an unexpected opportunity developed into a fascination with how global economics shapes decisions around cash and foreign exchange. She credits colleagues who let her join them at their desks, ask questions and get involved in increasingly complex work.
Early on, Julie was introduced to NeuGroup and became a member. She recalls that attending a peer group meeting felt like a signal of trust. “When I was allowed to go to a NeuGroup meeting, it was an indication that the treasurer was comfortable with me speaking in public,” she says. “For me, that was almost like a promotion.”
Ultimately, though, another opportunity outside treasury arose. She pushed aside worries about changing lanes and took a risk by joining NeuGroup. In the last decade, she has challenged herself by moving from research director to peer group leader to her current marketing role. She leads marketing with a clear practitioner perspective. “I look at things and these guideposts through a member lens,” she says. “I put on my former member hat and try to think of what I would’ve wanted to make NeuGroup better.”
That mindset is behind several changes members will see this year, including improvements to our website and a new member community page aimed at making it easier to connect and engage between meetings.
The episode ends with a dive into how Julie’s experience in endurance sports connects to her professional growth: “Why not see how far you can go and see how far you can push and see how great you can become?” she says. One tip for pushing yourself past your physical limits: rock music—often angry, always loud.
You can watch our full conversation by clicking here.
