Cristina Junqueira
Born 1982 · Age 43
Brazilian engineer and entrepreneur; co-founder and CEO of Nubank Brazil, a leading Latin American neobank. Advocate for gender inclusion in tech and finance.
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Life & Career Timeline
Family relocated to Rio de Janeiro (infant)
Moved as an infant with her family to Rio de Janeiro where she grew up.
Born in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
Cristina Junqueira was born in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, as the oldest of four sisters.
Personal: Married to Rubens Pereira; mother of three daughters
Long-term partner/marriage since circa 2006; mother to three daughters and publicly speaks about role-modeling and gender representation.
Attended St. Ignatius College (Jesuit school)
Completed primary/secondary education at St. Ignatius College in Rio de Janeiro.
Joined Boston Consulting Group as Associate Consultant
Started career at BCG while concurrently pursuing a master's degree at USP.
Graduated USP with Industrial Engineering degree
Completed undergraduate studies at Universidade de São Paulo (USP), degree in industrial engineering.
Completed Master's in Economic & Financial Modeling at USP
Obtained a master's degree in economic and financial modeling from Universidade de São Paulo.
Selected for Kellogg One-Year Accelerated Programme
Enrolled at Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University) in the One-Year Accelerated MBA program.
Hired by Unibanco as Head of SME Credit Sector
On returning to Brazil after MBA, she was hired by Unibanco to lead the small-and-medium-sized enterprises credit sector, managing a team of ~20.
Earned MBA from Kellogg School of Management
Graduated with an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.
Unibanco merged with Itaú (Itaú Unibanco formed); offered portfolio manager role
Following the merger between Unibanco and Itaú, Junqueira was offered a portfolio manager position at the combined entity.
Became Head of Marketing & Products at Luiza Cred
Served as Head of Marketing and Products at Luiza Cred (a credit card provider owned by Itaú Unibanco).
Tenure at Luiza Cred begins
Started role at Luiza Cred; served in this role through 2012.
Appointed Credit Card Portfolio Manager for Itaúcard
Took on role managing the credit card portfolio at Itaúcard (Itaú Unibanco).
Co-founded Nubank (with David Vélez and Edward Wible)
Partnered with David Vélez (ex-Sequoia) and Edward Wible to found Nubank, aiming to build a transparent, tech-driven digital bank in Brazil.
Resigned from Itaú and left banking incumbent
Decided to leave her product manager position after concluding incumbents were not addressing financial inclusion; prepared to pursue a startup.
Selected 'Nubank' as company name and defined value of transparency
Founders chose 'Nu' (Portuguese for 'nude') and 'Nubank' to emphasize transparency and a 'new' approach to banking.
Early fundraising (Series A) while pregnant — signed deal from hospital bed
Raised early venture capital (Series A timeframe) for Nubank while heavily pregnant; famously signed a deal from her hospital bed and returned to work immediately after birth.
Birth of first daughter (approx.)
Gave birth to her first daughter around the time Nubank's first card transactions were happening; she has referred to her daughter and Nubank as 'twins'.
First Nubank card transaction — product launch
The first Nubank credit-card transaction took place in Brazil, the functional launch of Nubank's consumer product.
Nubank achieved 'unicorn' status and valuation surge (>$10bn)
Nubank accelerated growth and reached valuations that put it well above the $1bn unicorn threshold; several sources report valuations over $10bn by 2018.
Nubank reported ~25 million customers and ~2,600 employees (circa)
By this period Nubank had grown quickly: reported customer counts around 25 million and a workforce of about 2,600, with strong inclusivity metrics (40% women, 30% LGBT).
Nubank launched product outside Brazil (Mexico expansion phase)
Nubank began launching no-fee credit cards/products in Mexico as its first market outside Brazil (expansion phase around this period).
Named on Fortune's '40 Under 40' / Most Powerful Women lists (recognition)
Recognized by Fortune and other outlets as a leading young businesswoman and fintech founder; featured in fintech press as a prominent Latin American startup founder.
Briefly became a billionaire after IPO
Following the NYSE debut and >$50bn valuation, Junqueira briefly held billionaire status based on her equity stake.
Selected as Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst
Chosen as part of the 2021 Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst program; attended New Economy Forum in Singapore and the Catalyst Retreat.
Nubank (Nu Holdings) IPO on NYSE — company valuation > $50bn
Nu Holdings debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2021 at a valuation reported to exceed $50 billion.
Public report: No longer a billionaire as Nu stock cooled
Following stock declines after the IPO, articles reported Junqueira lost billionaire status (shares fell and wealth dipped below $1bn).
Named among fintech's 'Top 10 Leaders'
Recognized in 2022 as one of fintech's top 10 leaders by industry publications.
Nubank surpasses 90 million customers across Brazil, Mexico and Colombia
By late 2023 Nubank reported having surpasssed ~90 million customers in LatAm, cementing status as one of the largest digital banks globally.
Nubank valuation reported around $23bn (post-IPO market valuation)
Market reports in 2023 cited Nubank valuation around $23 billion while the company continued expansion in LatAm.
Continued executive role: CEO of Nubank Brazil
Holds the position of CEO of Nubank Brazil and continues to lead national operations and product strategy.
Owns nearly 3% of Nubank
Reported ownership stake of nearly 3% in Nubank (Nu Holdings) as public/late-stage ownership data.
Advocacy: Leads Nubank's gender-inclusion and diversity programs
As co-founder, she has led policy and programs to increase female representation in tech and finance within Nubank.
Public presence and speaking engagements (ongoing)
Participated in industry forums, interviews, and conferences (e.g., Bloomberg New Economy Forum, FinTech Magazine coverage); active public advocate for fintech and inclusion.
Featured: 'Lifetime of Achievement' profile in FinTech Magazine
FinTech Magazine ran a May 1, 2024 feature charting Junqueira's rise and leadership at Nubank.
Key Achievement Ages
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