4
EXECUTIVES IN TRAINING
Julia Smith
Julia Smith is a tall and striking figure with deep dimples and a warm smile; she could easily be mistaken for a model. In fact, however, she is a mover and a shaker in the financial industry, where she became the first black woman to be brought into her company’s executive ranks. This sophisticated, intellectually strong woman’s origins can be traced to the deep South. Julia began her life in a small rural community in the Mississippi Delta, with a population of 875. Her family had lived there for generations. Her maternal grandfather, considered a pillar of the community, owned the grocery store and gas station on the black side of town. He was also a skilled mason. Grandfather Thomas worked with ...