When Cristina Junqueira first met David Vélez, she wasn’t expecting to walk away from her corporate career. But the idea he pitched—transforming Brazil’s rigid banking system—was too compelling to ignore.

Vélez, a Colombian venture capitalist, saw an opportunity in the Latin American financial landscape, where excessive fees, high interest rates, and poor customer service were the norm. He needed a Brazilian insider who understood the industry, and Junqueira fit the bill perfectly. Frustrated by the resistance to change at her previous bank job, she was ready for something bold. Their shared vision to disrupt traditional banking led to the birth of Nubank in 2013.

 

Building a Digital Banking Giant

Along with American software engineer Edward Wible, Junqueira and Vélez set up Nubank in São Paulo’s Brooklin district. Their goal? Use cutting-edge technology to lower costs, expand financial access, and improve customer experience. In 2014, Nubank launched its first product—a zero-fee credit card managed entirely through a mobile app. The response was phenomenal.

Fast forward a decade, Nubank has become the largest digital banking platform outside Asia, boasting 114 million customers, including 10 million in Mexico and 2.5 million in Colombia. Today, the company is valued at approximately $50 billion, making Junqueira one of Brazil’s most successful female executives with a 2.6% stake.

 

A Female Leader in a Male-Dominated Industry

Junqueira’s rise in fintech is even more remarkable considering the industry’s gender imbalance. “I’ve never had a female boss in my entire career,” she notes. Early in her consulting days, she and another woman were the most senior females in the office simply because no others existed.

At Nubank, diversity was a priority from day one. The co-founders’ differences—Vélez’s outsider perspective, Wible’s tech expertise, and Junqueira’s banking background—were seen as assets. The company doesn’t enforce hiring quotas but actively recruits from underrepresented groups. Today, 43% of its leadership positions are held by women, and many of them work in traditionally male-dominated fields like software development.

 

Redefining Work-Life Balance

Beyond banking, Junqueira is a role model for working mothers. Married with four children, she openly challenges the notion that women must choose between career and family.

Her Instagram, with over half a million followers, shares insights on motherhood and leadership, featuring posts like “The Pregnant Woman is the Most Efficient Mammal on the Planet.” She’s lived by this philosophy—pitching to Sequoia Capital at seven months pregnant, signing Nubank’s Series A funding papers from the hospital, and attending the company’s IPO in New York while eight months pregnant.

“I get sad when I see women thinking they have to pick one or the other,” she says. “It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible.”

 

Challenges and Controversies

Junqueira’s career hasn’t been without hurdles. In 2020, she faced backlash for remarks about hiring Afro-Brazilian managers, which she later apologized for, calling it a “very sad episode.” Despite the controversy, she remains committed to expanding opportunities for underrepresented groups.

 

The Future of Nubank

At 42, Junqueira isn’t slowing down. She believes Nubank’s technology can revolutionize financial inclusion globally, particularly in underbanked regions. “I can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve in the next 20 to 30 years,” she says.

From disrupting Brazil’s banking system to proving that motherhood and leadership can coexist, Junqueira is rewriting the rules—one bold move at a time.