Courtney Leimkuhler is the co-founder and managing partner of Springbank Collective, an early-stage investment firm focused on building the infrastructure to close the gender gap. By investing in companies creating the tools, technology, and services that support women and working families, Springbank’s goal is to catalyze the new care economy and the future of inclusive work.

Before founding Springbank, Courtney was the Chief Financial Officer of Marsh, the world’s leading corporate insurance broker with 35,000 employees in over 100 countries. Previously, Courtney spent a decade at the New York Stock Exchange from pre-IPO through the sale of the public company in 2013. She served as a member of the Management Committee and the Head of Corporate Strategy and M&A during a transformational period for the company and the global exchange industry. Courtney began her career at Goldman Sachs.

Courtney serves as a board member or advisor to several fintech and insurtech companies, including New Front, Orchard, Coverwallet (sold to Aon in 2020), Betterment, and Asta Capital.

Courtney is a graduate of Harvard College summa cum laude and Harvard Business School where she was a Baker Scholar. Courtney and her husband live in New York City with their two daughters.

In this episode of Takin’ Care of Lady Business®, Jennifer Justice speaks with Courtney Leimkuhler, a seasoned professional with a background in financial services began her career at Goldman Sachs, gaining valuable experience in electronic trading, fintech, and regulatory matters. However, she decided to take a year off to travel and reflect on her career goals, giving her a unique perspective on navigating career paths and taking risks. Courtney believes in letting go of the idea that there is a specific path or set of boxes to check off to achieve success. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of being prepared to make the best of whatever opportunities come along and being open to alternative ways of acquiring skills. Her experiences, from starting in a traditional role at Goldman Sachs to co-founding Spring Bank, a company focused on building better childcare and making paid leave universal, have taught her the value of embracing flexibility, seizing unexpected opportunities, and adaptability.

Here is what to expect on this week’s show:

• Learn the importance of trusting your instincts when making career decisions.


• Discover why you should be adaptable and willing to take calculated risks to achieve career growth.


• Why you should align your career decisions with societal challenges and find ways to make a positive difference.


• Understand how to critically evaluate advice and make decisions based on your unique circumstances.

Quotes:

“We have massive problems to solve. I'm talking about one of them. But we have some really big societal challenges that I'd love to see more smart people with experience, without experience, engineering, everyone working together." - Courtney Leimkuhler

“My perception was like those practical and logistical supports were actually the main barrier and the way we worked was the problem." - Courtney Leimkuhler

"I think just sort of letting go very early on of this idea that there is a path and there's a specific set of boxes you're trying to check off has proved to be very valuable to me over the rest of my career." - Courtney Leimkuhler

“Nothing is objectively bad or good. It's sort of trying to understand what is the set of experiences that is leading to this piece of advice and do I think that those sets of experiences are actually relevant to me in this circumstance." - Courtney Leimkuhler

This episode is sponsored by Medjet. Medjet is the top-rated air medical transport and crisis response membership for travelers. If you’re hospitalized while traveling or your safety is threatened abroad, they get you home. Join Medjet before your next trip at Medjet.com.

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