People

Cristina Junqueira

Cristina Junqueira

Formal First Name
Cristina
Location

Cristina Junqueira is Co-Founder and Vice President of Nubank, now the largest independent digital bank in the world, serving more than 25 million customers across Mexico and Brazil. Under her leadership, Nubank became the world’s first and only company with a female founder to reach a valuation above $10 billion. Junqueira has proven her expertise in finding the best ways to combine finance and technology. She developed her skills at high-profile companies such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Boston Consulting Group, and Itaú Unibanco.

Professional Experience


Academic History

EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

  • 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.