Jessica Burke

I attribute much of my success to the people who believed in me long before I had a long résumé or years of experience to point to. I was a stay-at-home mom for many years and began my career later than many others. Along the way - there were leaders who saw potential in me, took a chance on me, invested in me and encouraged me to keep growing when they didn't have to. I've never forgotten that.

Their belief in me inspired me to work hard, continue learning and never take opportunities for granted. I naturally have a strong drive to achieve and improve, but over the years, my definition of success has evolved. Today, I find the greatest fulfillment in helping other people recognize their own potential, grow in confidence and accomplish goals they didn't think were possible. I believe we all remember the people who believed in us, and I've always hoped to be that kind of person for someone else.

If I had to pick one piece of career advice that's shaped me the most, it would be something a female leader I deeply respect shared with me early in my career: "Don't borrow someone else's opinion of a person." She challenged me to give every manager, teammate, direct reportand leader the opportunity to show me who they were instead of letting someone else's experience become my first impression. That advice has stayed with me ever since.

Over the years, I've found that some of the strongest relationships I've built started because I chose curiosity over assumptions. I've also learned that behind every title is a person-with goals, challenges, fears and a desire to know they matter. So I've tried to build on that advice by making it a priority to help people feel seen, valued, encouraged and important.

I've come to believe that the greatest thing you'll ever build isn't a project, a product, or even your career-it's the confidence, growth and belief someone else carries because you took the time to invest in them.

I would encourage young women entering the industry to never stop learning. Become a student of your field, ask great questions and build the kind of knowledge and expertise that gives you the confidence to contribute meaningfully. There will always be someone in the room who knows more than you about a particular topic, and I've found that approaching those moments with curiosity instead of comparison has been one of the greatest accelerators in my own career. The more you learn and the harder you work - the more opportunities you'll create for yourself.

I would also encourage women to resist the idea that success requires becoming someone you're not. Early in my career, I sometimes felt there was an expectation that women in financial technology needed to be more like everyone else in the room in order to be taken seriously. Over time, I realized that authenticity is one of your greatest strengths. You don't have to change your personality, your style, or how you naturally connect with people to earn a seat at the table. Bring your perspective, your strengths and your voice with confidence.

Finally, never forget that every person around that table is a person before they are a title. Treat people with respect, make them feel valued and build genuine relationships. Your expertise may open the door, but the way you treat people is what will sustain your career long after you've earned your seat.

I think one of the biggest opportunities in Learning & Development and Enablement right now is continuing to connect learning directly to business performance. Great training shouldn't just transfer knowledge - it should improve leadership, strengthen collaboration, increase confidence, accelerate onboarding and ultimately help the business achieve better results. I also believe AI presents an incredible opportunity for our field, but only if we use it thoughtfully. AI can help us become more efficient, creative and scalable, but it should never replace the human connection that makes learning meaningful. The best learning experiences still require empathy, coaching, curiosity and understanding the people behind the roles. I believe the future of Learning & Development isn't choosing between AI and people - it's using technology to create more time and opportunity to invest in people well.

The values that are most important to me - both in my work and personal life - are integrity, continuous growth, kindness and helping people become the best version of themselves. I don't really separate who I am at work from who I am at home - I try to show up as the same person in both places because authenticity matters to me. My family will always be my greatest priority, and one of the reasons I love what I do is because it allows me to support them while also investing in other people. I believe people do their best when they know they matter, so I strive to make others feel seen, valued, encouraged and respected. To me, success is doing meaningful work while helping others grow along the way.