Cristina Junqueira

• Junqueira was born in the former coffee capital of Riberão Preto.
• She moved to Rio de Janeiro with her family as an infant. 
• She received a traditional education before moving to São Paulo to study industrial engineering at the University of São Paulo. 
• She began her financial career as an associate consultant at the Boston Consulting Group while completing her master's degree in economic and financial modeling.
• She was selected for the One-Year Accelerated Programme at the Kellogg School of Management in 2007.
• She returned to Brazil in 2008, still only 24, and was immediately hired by Unibanco, where she headed the SME credit sector with a team of 20—all older than she was.
• She was appointed portfolio manager for the Itaúcard in 2012 and left when her proposals for commission-free credit cards and direct communication for clients were ignored.
• She met David Vélez, and together, decided to give digital banking a shot.
• Her banking expertise was complemented by Vélez's experience in the world of venture capital and the technical know-how of third co-founder Edward Wible.
  

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• A rare female fintech founder, Junqueira signed Nubank’s first round of investment documents while at the hospital in labor with her first daughter.
• She has been a model of success in the face of gender bias and discrimination as a woman raising venture capital while pregnant.
• She believes setting a standard and example of inclusivity in the workplace is the way to pave a fairer path for all in business.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

• Junqueira was nominated as one of the most powerful women in Brazil by Forbes Magazine in 2016 and 2017.
• In 2016, she received the Prêmio CLAUDIA, the most important female-focused award in Latin America in the Business category.