Contact: Sameera Jordan
Media Relations Manager
Sameera.Jordan@BankWithUnited.com

Get to Know the Woman Making History at United Bank This Month

Julie Gurtis likes to win. A seasoned sales and banking professional with several decades of experience under her belt, this trait has served her well in her career. She has closed deals, secured new business, and risen through the ranks – all with this mindset of “winning” an opportunity. But this drive extends far beyond banking.

Julie approaches all facets of life as an opportunity to beat the odds – never allowing herself to feel defeated by her circumstances. Forty years ago, she walked across the stage to receive her diploma from West Virginia University one month and walked down the aisle to say “I do” to her husband the next. Thirty-five years ago, she broke into a male-dominated industry and made a name for herself in banking. And every day since, she has successfully managed two full-time jobs – rising to become a top leader at United Bank while raising a family – proving you can do it all, she says, with the right support system behind you.

Figuring Out Her Career Path

Julie’s support system goes back several generations. Growing up, she had a lot of role models, including her two grandmothers. Both attended Marshall University and became teachers, one even helping to found and lead a small rural school in Ravenswood, WV, as principal.

“She was pretty strict as a principal, but everybody loved her. It takes a special kind of person to pull that off,” Julie said.

Their example, paired with the influence of her parents, helped shape her growing up. “My mom was an independent woman, and my father was a natural-born leader. They always encouraged me to take on new ventures and speak up, whether it was in sports, student government, or community involvement. I owe a lot of my success to the lessons they taught me early on.”

Her family’s influence is what spurred her interest in banking. Growing up, Julie thought she’d become a teacher like her grandmothers. However, by the time she reached college, she wasn’t set on her decision. The summer before her junior year, she had yet to declare a major and decided to stay with her aunt and uncle in Charleston, WV, to work a job in the city. Her uncle often spoke about his work as a physician and his role on a bank’s board, which sparked her interest. “My uncle and father actually both served on the board of directors for two separate banks,” said Julie. “But they both had similar opinions that I would enjoy the work, and I agreed. When I returned to school in the fall, I decided to declare a major in finance.”

After graduating from college, Julie received a job offer from a well-known investment firm in Pittsburgh. She was excited for the opportunity, but was even more excited to marry her fiancé, who had already started working at what is now PwC in Columbus, Ohio.

Starting a Family

After they married, Julie decided to join her husband in Columbus and began her banking career with Huntington Bank. “I was part of their corporate training program, and I really enjoyed the work, but after a few years, we thought we might want to start a family. We didn’t have family in Columbus and figured it might be a good idea to get back to our roots and move closer to our parents,” she said. So, after a few years, they packed their bags and returned home to West Virginia.

Family friends helped set Julie up with a few different bank interviews in Charleston, but she says United Bank was the one that attracted her most. “I just saw that this place had a lot going on, so that interested me from a business side of things,” she said. But what ultimately influenced her decision was the company culture and how United empowered its employees. She witnessed it firsthand within her first few months with the Bank. “You can come in as a newly married, fresh college grad and successfully build a career and start a family here.”

Balancing Family and Work Obligations

Despite having parents and in-laws nearby, Julie admits it wasn’t easy working full-time while raising children. “There were times when I had to bring a baby into the office so I could take care of some transactions before running to their doctor’s appointment. Then I’d have to meet my mom to give her the kids so I could run back to the office and finish up work for the day,” she described.

These experiences made her deeply empathetic to the struggles of other working parents trying to juggle home life and work. She said, “We often put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be perfect at home, and perfect at the office, but sometimes it’s OK to just give ourselves a little grace.”

Julie believes that what makes United stand out as an employer is its willingness to not only hire great people, but to encourage them as they build a career with the Bank and support them every step of the way. “If you raise your hand and say, ‘Hey, I want to do more. Give me a shot! I may have some more learning to do, but I’ll do it, and I’ll work hard for you,’ the Bank will give you that opportunity,” she said. “What I learned about United is that you can do it all here.” Julie experienced this firsthand as she rose from lender to market president, to regional president, and ultimately, to United Bank president, making her the first woman to hold the title in United’s history.

Overcoming Self-Doubt

However, despite her many triumphs and accolades, Julie is not immune to feelings of self-doubt. For years, she felt she wasn’t doing enough at home and work, summing it up as, “I’d feel guilty for missing one of the kids’ events because I had to work, but then I’d be distracted at work because I was worrying about things at home instead!”

Eventually, the pressure of all her responsibilities began to weigh on Julie, and she considered taking a step back and accepting an offer from another bank. But a call from former United CEO and now Executive Chairman, Richard Adams, made her reconsider. She recounts, “Even though he was traveling, he took the time to call me from the airport.” After venting about the stress from home and work, she says their conversation made her re-evaluate her situation. “I said I love my work, but my family comes first. And he simply responded something to the effect of, ‘Well what kind of company would we be if we hired employees who didn’t put their family first?’ And I really needed to hear that.”

In fact, this attitude has contributed to United Bank’s reputation as one of America’s greatest places to work for parents and families in 2024, an honor rightly earned by the company, according to Julie.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

As she thinks back on her career so far and what she’d change if she could do it all over again, Julie wishes she would have been more confident. “Women are always so tough on themselves. We often second guess ourselves and feel we don’t have enough experience to be qualified for the role,” she says. “If I could go back, I would raise my hand more and accept the opportunities that I didn’t think I deserved. Fortunately, at this point in my life, I am now able to recognize that I can make meaningful contributions, and I hope more young women can begin to see the same in themselves.”

Today, Julie Gurtis is President of United Bank. This June marks her 35th anniversary with the Bank, and this July, she and her husband will celebrate 40 years of marriage. She has three children and two grandchildren and enjoys watching her daughter follow in her footsteps as a commercial banker at United. She often speaks to employees considering starting a family who worry about being able to balance it with work. “I just say, ‘If you want to do it, do it. Start your family, and United Bank will be here to support you along the way.’ I’m living proof of that!”

It’s a win-win situation, she says. And Julie Gurtis likes to win.