

Juatise Gathings
Discover Financial Services
Chicago, IL USA
"We get better as a company when we bring diverse personalities and perspectives to the table."
Career Roadmap
Juatise's work combines: Business, Numbers, and Working with Others
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Advice for getting started
When I first started making my way up in the corporate world, I was often the only African American female in the room. There wasn't much diversity in our leadership. At first it forced me to temper parts of myself. However, I eventually realized—particularly at Discover—that we get better as a company when we bring diverse perspectives to the table. When the company started investing in and celebrating things that make us different, it helped build my comfort level to authentically be who I am.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
Ottawa University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I grew up in the Roseland neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois.
2.
When I was in the middle of high school, my family moved to Arizona.
3.
Even though I had gone to a college prep school in Chicago, I saw that even the worst schools in Arizona were better than our best schools in Chicago because of better community investment.
4.
I graduated from Ottawa University with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).
5.
I started with Discover Financial Services as an administrative assistant and moved up to lead analyst after a year.
6.
I stayed with Discover and kept working my way up—I worked as a department manager in New Albany, Ohio, followed by a role as senior operations manager in Salt Lake City, Utah.
7.
I eventually moved back to Chicago, where I currently work as the regional operations manager for Discover.
8.
In addition to my work with Discover, I’m passionate about advocating for community investment, particularly starting with investment in our youth.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I can't fully be myself here. I need to temper who I am in order to fit in.
How I responded:
When I first started making my way up in the corporate world, I was often the only African American female in the room. There wasn't much diversity in our leadership. At first it forced me to temper parts of myself. However, I eventually realized—particularly at Discover—that we get better as a company when we bring diverse perspectives to the table. When the company started investing in and celebrating things that make us different, it helped build my comfort level to authentically be who I am.