Julie Bourgeois
Head of Legal and Compliance at 6 Monks
Julie, your career has been strongly rooted in law and compliance, from corporate transactions to leading the legal strategy at 6 Monks. What first drew you into this area, and what has kept you passionate about regulatory frameworks for more than a decade?
What first drew me into law and compliance was the conviction that sound structures and clear frameworks are the foundation of sustainable growth, whether for companies, investors or entire industries.
Early in my career, working on corporate transactions, I saw how much value could be created or lost depending on how well the legal and regulatory aspects were anticipated and adapted to operations. That experience showed me how regulation, when applied thoughtfully, can enable innovation rather than constrain it, and that perspective has kept me passionate about the legal sphere for more than a decade.
This vision is tested most in fintech, and especially in crypto, where the challenge is to reconcile pioneering technology with robust governance. At 6 Monks, I see every day how building this bridge between innovation and compliance helps create trust with regulators, institutional investors, and the broader ecosystem. That’s both intellectually stimulating and deeply rewarding.
You’ve laid out your journey with real clarity! Having studied and built much of your career in France and Luxembourg, countries that position themselves as progressive on gender equality, how does this translate into real opportunities for women in finance? And have you noticed a gap between policy and reality?
I do see a gap between policy and reality, and in my view, it’s not only structural but also personal. As a mother, I had to make certain choices at different stages of my career, and naturally, they influenced its pace and direction. Still, my career has always had a central place for me, and with persistence and conviction, those efforts have paid off.
In Europe, and especially in Luxembourg, we are fortunate to benefit from a progressive and supportive system that makes it possible to reconcile ambitious careers with family life. This creates an environment where women are not just allowed in the room but actually encouraged to shape the conversation.
In fintech and crypto, this is particularly important because the industry is still being built. With frameworks and governance models not yet set in stone, women can both participate and shape how inclusive and forward-looking the sector becomes. So while the gap between policy and reality exists, in fintech, it can actually be an opportunity as it’s a space where our personal choices, resilience, and leadership help shape the future of the industry.
It’s encouraging to hear that you frame challenges as opportunities. In that light, what hidden expectations are often placed on women leaders in finance that men usually don’t face?
These are, of course, very personal views. One hidden expectation is the need to constantly prove credibility. In traditionally male-dominated sectors, women leaders often have to demonstrate technical expertise and resilience twice over before being trusted at the same level.
Another is the unspoken assumption that women should combine leadership with empathy and availability—being both firm decision-makers and approachable mentors. Of course, these are positive qualities, but they are not imposed on male leaders in the same way.
And finally, there is the recurring question of how women manage family and career, as if it’s part of the leadership test. Men rarely face that scrutiny. Recognizing these dynamics allows us to challenge them, and in fintech, where culture is still being shaped, as I mentioned earlier, we can set more balanced expectations for the next generation of leaders.
And if we go a step deeper on the personal side, was there a moment in your career when you felt underestimated or overlooked because you were a woman? If so, how did you respond, and what did you take away from it?
Stepping back temporarily for family reasons sometimes led people to assume I was less committed or available. But I can’t point to a specific moment where I felt underestimated—in fact, it was often the opposite in the organizations I joined.
My career has always held a central place for me, even if balancing it with family wasn’t always easy. My way of responding was to show, through the quality of my work and the results achieved, that commitment and leadership are not diminished by personal choices.
What I learned is that being underestimated, whether for gender or personal decisions, can strengthen resilience. It gave me the drive to prove assumptions wrong and to build credibility through consistency, which in fintech, where trust and governance are everything, has become one of my strongest assets.
Thank you for sharing such thoughtful and candid reflections. To wrap up, what is your hope for the next generation of women in fintech, and what concrete steps should the industry take to make that future possible?
My hope for the next generation is that they won’t have to choose between credibility and empathy, or between career and family. So, they can lead authentically without being judged or underrated.
Fintech and crypto spaces offer a unique chance to make that possible. We can build cultures and governance models that value diversity from the start. Concretely, this means more visibility for female role models, stronger mentorship networks, and company policies that truly support flexibility and work-life balance. And it also means ensuring women are in the decision-making rooms where frameworks, strategies, and products are defined. Both hard and soft skills should count equally.
