On November 11, the Salt Lake Chamber will honor seven outstanding businesswomen at the 50th annual Women & Business Conference and ATHENA Awards Luncheon. Among this year’s honorees is Jill Borst, head of the Salt Lake City office for Goldman Sachs and a 2026 Pathfinder Award honoree. Learn more about Borst and her career below:
How has your definition of success changed since you first joined Goldman?
When I joined Goldman Sachs on the Fixed Income trading floor in 2000, I defined success through a relatively narrow lens focused on execution, mastering the mechanics of the markets and building trusted, long-term client relationships.
My perspective evolved over the course of my career and was heavily influenced by a series of financial market disruptions, including the dot-com bubble, Sept. 11 attacks, the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. I came to understand success as the ability to be a resilient and strategic risk manager, capable of making timely decisions to support clients and our business during periods of uncertainty.
Ultimately, leading larger teams at scale redefined my purpose further. This became especially clear when we transitioned to a virtual environment at the onset of the pandemic and the height of market volumes. Leading a team through this moment underscored the importance of ensuring the people around me had the tools and support to perform through constant change.
Today, my definition of success is centered on building resilient teams that are empowered to strengthen our client franchise today while also building scale for the future.
What have you learned about leading people who are at different stages of their careers?
I have learned that people at every stage of their career often want many of the same things: opportunities to grow, meaningful work, strong teams, trusted relationships and leaders who believe in their potential.
What differs is the type of support each person needs at a given moment. Early-career professionals may need context, confidence and coaching, while more experienced colleagues may benefit from stretch opportunities, sponsorship and room to lead. A leader’s role is to understand those differences, meet people where they are and help them continue to develop.
Goldman Sachs has long emphasized continuous learning, professional development and apprenticeship, and that culture has shaped how I lead. The most effective leadership is personal: knowing when to provide direction, when to create space, when to advocate and how to help someone realize their full potential.
What does being part of the Utah community mean to you personally?
Goldman Sachs is deeply grateful to be part of the Utah community. Since opening our Salt Lake City office in 2000, it has grown into one of the firm’s largest global locations, with more than 3,000 professionals serving clients around the world.
As the firm has grown, we have continued to invest in Utah through programs such as the 10,000 Small Businesses Program and partnerships with Community Development Champions, supporting entrepreneurs, nonprofits and organizations that strengthen economic opportunity across the state. Since relocating here, I have been inspired by the commitment of our colleagues and community partners who work every day to make Utah stronger.
I see a shared spirit of cooperation, generosity and collaboration that is truly distinctive. It has been an extraordinary place to build a career, raise a family and put down roots, and I am proud to be part of this community.
What would surprise your younger self about the woman you’ve become?
My younger self would probably be surprised that a student of markets and macroeconomics grew into not only a risk manager, but also a business strategist and people leader. I still love solving difficult problems to create commercial solutions, but my sense of purpose has evolved.
The Pathfinder Award recognizes people who create new opportunities for women. What does being a “pathfinder” mean to you based on your own experiences?
To me, being a pathfinder means moving forward with purpose while making the path more visible for those who follow. It means seeking out challenging roles, working alongside outstanding people, solving consequential problems and then using what you have learned — and the credibility you have earned — to help others access opportunity.
One of the greatest legacies of a leader is the team you recruit, train, mentor and develop for the future. I hope that the women and men I have sponsored feel prepared to take on bigger challenges, confident that they belong in the room and responsible for opening the next door for someone else.
Learn more and register for the 50th Women & Business Conference and ATHENA Awards Luncheon here.
