The Booth Experience’s Women@Booth series aims to highlight the experiences of exemplary women leaders at the school. Over the month of March, we will speak to women across Chicago Booth to uncover their past experiences, understand what brought them to Booth, and get a sneak peek into what lies ahead for them. We hope these stories bring to the fore the people who make Chicago Booth a great community to be part of and inspire women around the world.
The first person to be featured in this series is Julia Boserup. Julia is a former professional tennis player who chose Booth to sharpen her business knowledge and move into the world of management consulting.
Julia is originally from Newport Beach, California and was a professional tennis player before Booth. After turning pro at the age of 17, Julia achieved a ranking of number 80 in the world and reached the third round of Wimbledon in 2016. During this time, she was elected as a Player Council Representative for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), where she worked closely with the WTA Board to drive the business side of the sport. Her projects included designing a new maternity leave policy for professional tennis players and increasing prize money for a broader range of players. Julia saw the potential to combine her perspective as a pro athlete with strong business knowledge. When she got injured last year and could no longer compete on the tennis court, she came to Booth to pursue her MBA.
She is currently a first year student and will be working at Kearney Consulting in their Chicago office this summer. Outside of class, Julia is a member of the Media, Entertainment, and Sports Group, as well as Epicurean Club and Follies.
Why did you decide to come to Booth?
I was drawn to Booth’s analytical approach to solving business problems. It is important to me that I develop a solid foundation of business skills on which I can build for the rest of my career and Booth felt like the best fit for me. Everything clicked when I visited Booth for my interview. I connected well with the current students I met and felt at home right away.
How have you found the women support network at the school?
I have been impressed by the pay-it-forward culture at Booth. From the day I was admitted, I have felt like a part of a community that supports and challenges each other, regardless of gender. This attitude permeates the school and student body, and I am grateful to be in an environment that supports the equal development of male and female leaders.
Are there any instances/initiatives/stories that stand out for you with respect to the support women leaders get at Booth?
I feel that gender equality is ingrained in the culture at Booth. From honing our speaking skills in LEAD to presenting in class and taking leadership roles in student groups, we are in an environment where intellectual engagement and pushing personal development (no matter what gender) is the norm. My LEAD squad was a safe place to open up and discuss specific personal areas I wanted to improve during my two years here at Booth. We support each other and check in over dinner on a regular basis, and my squad-mates have become some of my closest friends!
What are your personal and/or professional aspirations going forward?
The great part about an MBA is that it can lead you down many different paths. After graduation, I plan to join a management consulting firm and make an impact on businesses across different industries. Booth is giving me a strong toolkit to analyze business problems and I am looking forward to seeing how my career unfolds.
What have you enjoyed most about the school?
I have enjoyed getting to know my classmates and being immersed in the collaborative culture that I feel defines Booth. We have an outstanding faculty and I find that I am learning a lot from all of my courses. The discussions that we have in class are really interesting and I am enjoying learning and exchanging ideas with my peers.
What advice would you give other women considering an MBA?
Business school has been a transformative experience for me so far and I would strongly encourage other women to embrace the opportunity. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone and already taught me so much in a relatively short amount of time.
