Julia Streets

Julia Streets MBE Fintech Entrepreneur, Leadership Speaker, Diversity Champion, Comedian and Event Host

• Founder and CEO of Streets Consulting, advising financial services and technology businesses worldwide
• Awarded an MBE in 2025 for services to diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship
• Founder and host of DiverCity Podcast, reaching listeners in more than 50 countries
• Former senior executive in financial technology, including NYSE Euronext and Instinet
• International conference moderator, awards host and experienced stand-up comedian
• Speaker on fintech, inclusive leadership, entrepreneurship, communication and human skills in the age of AI

Speaking & Hosting

Julia Streets has spent much of her career exploring the business of comedy and the comedy of business. It’s an unusual combination, but one that makes perfect sense when you meet someone who has worked in the upper reaches of international finance and also stood alone on stage at the Comedy Store, waiting for an audience to laugh. As a fintech entrepreneur, advisor, comedian and experienced event host, Julia brings commercial understanding, quick thinking and humour to conversations about leadership, innovation, diversity and the changing workplace.

She is particularly interested in the skills that help people succeed when technology and business models change. With AI reshaping professional life, Julia explores why communication, emotional intelligence, curiosity and the ability to work effectively with others are becoming more important, not less. An accomplished moderator and interviewer, she is equally comfortable questioning senior executives, chairing complex industry discussions or hosting an awards ceremony. Her comedy experience gives her a natural feel for an audience, while her financial services background ensures the substance is never lost behind the entertainment.

Speaker Topics

• Leadership and Human Skills in the Age of AI
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Fintech Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Communication, Confidence and Executive Presence
• Building Inclusive and High-Performing Teams
• The Future of Financial Services
• Women in Business and Leadership
• Corporate Culture, Language and Behaviour
• Conference Moderation and Awards Hosting

Why Book Julia Streets?

Julia combines the credibility of a senior financial services entrepreneur with the timing and audience awareness of a professional comedian. She can challenge an executive panel, make a technical subject accessible and find the humour in corporate life without losing sight of the serious issues. Whether delivering a keynote, chairing a conference or hosting an awards evening, Julia brings intelligence, warmth and an instinct for making people feel involved.

Biography

Julia has never been particularly interested in following a conventional career path. Before founding Streets Consulting, she held senior roles in financial services and technology, including Global Head of Communications at the technology arm of NYSE Euronext and European marketing and sales development responsibilities at Instinet.

She established Streets Consulting in 2007, building an international consultancy helping startups, growing technology companies and major financial institutions develop their businesses and bring new ideas to market.

Alongside her commercial career, Julia became a prominent advocate for diversity and inclusion. She founded and hosted DiverCity Podcast, bringing together industry leaders and less frequently heard voices to discuss progress, persistent barriers and practical change in financial services. The podcast attracted listeners in more than 50 countries.

In 2025, Julia was awarded an MBE for services to diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship, particularly in financial services and technology. More recently, her work has expanded into leadership development and the human skills required in an AI-driven workplace, including the launch of the online learning initiative SoftSkillingIt.

But Julia also has another, entirely different career…

Julia has performed stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe and London’s Comedy Store, with her one-woman show Streets in the City selling out. She also wrote The Lingua Franca of the Corporate Banker, a gleefully irreverent takedown of corporate jargon and boardroom absurdity. It’s a useful reminder that even in the most serious C-suite, somebody needs to recognise when it’s time to stop saying “let’s touch base”. To contact Julia Streets for keynote speaking, conference moderation, awards hosting and corporate events, call a Specialist Speakers agent on 0204 616 0868 or email info@specialistspeakers.com.