MY CAREER IN SIX SPOTLIGHT
JULIA PATTERSON-SAIG
SVP, Global Delivery Enterprise Payments Technology
Elavon by U.S. Bank
Sharing her career journey by answering the six questions below.
Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career?
This may sound unoriginal or cliché, but it’s true: my mother has been one of the greatest influences on how I view growth, leadership, and self-worth. She didn’t have the opportunity to attend college until I was in high school, yet she never allowed that limitation to define her—or slow her down. Long before formal credentials were available to her, she was already leading. As a toddler, I watched her volunteer with local civic organizations. As I grew older, she became the homeroom mother my classmates naturally gravitated toward. Later, she stepped into education as a paraprofessional and eventually led our local teachers’ union. At every stage, she kept learning, kept growing, and understood the value she brought to the table. She cared deeply about making the world a better place—and more importantly, she acted on that belief. Her example taught me that your starting point does not determine your impact, and that knowing your worth means never stopping your pursuit of growth.
Would you say your success is primarily due to luck or hard work?
Persistence has been one of the most influential factors in my career success. It’s not enough to be the top student, the strongest contributor on your team, or the smartest person in the room. Working hard—even working the hardest—doesn’t always lead to the next opportunity. In fact, I’ve experienced moments where it stalled my growth because I was enabling my manager’s success and became seen as “too good” to move. What often looks like luck is usually the result of intentional effort: building relationships, expanding your network, and seeking out like-minded people who will mentor you, challenge you, and help you grow.
What is the driving force behind your career aspirations?
Have you ever heard that if a shark stops swimming, it dies? I feel the same way about growth. Standing still isn’t an option for me. I’m driven by the need to keep learning, evolving, and making meaningful contributions. I have a lifelong love of learning—not just for knowledge itself, but for what it enables: progress, impact, and possibility. I want to continually stretch toward where I can add the most value, especially as technology reshapes what’s possible. There are roles being imagined today—and others that haven’t yet been named—and I want to be in the room where they’re created, helping to shape the future rather than reacting to it.
If given the chance to do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and why?
If there’s one thing I would do differently in my career, it would be to invest more intentionally in the relationships I built along the way. Early on, it’s easy to assume professional friendships will naturally endure, but over time you realize how rare—and valuable—it is to have people with whom you can share both success and struggle. As careers unfold and life evolves—moves, families, changing priorities—many of those connections fade. Looking back, I better understand that those relationships are as meaningful as the roles themselves, and I would have made a more deliberate effort to nurture them.
What was your most favourite job/role and why?
One of my favourite roles was an early internship with state government during college, at the height of a recession. A manager saw potential in me and asked if I could replace hours of manual reporting with automated databases. I said yes—before I fully knew how. I taught myself by diving into every database book I could find until I was proficient. That experience taught me the power of saying yes to opportunity, taking calculated risks, and stretching beyond what you think you’re ready for—a lesson I’ve carried with me ever since.
Do you have a favourite motto or quote that guides your professional life?
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill.