Cristina Junqueira
Cristina Junqueira | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Business executive |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of Nubank Brazil |
Cristina Junqueira (born September 1982) is a prominent Brazilian entrepreneur and co-founder of Nubank, recognized as the largest neobank worldwide. With a foundation in engineering, she shifted from a career in management consulting to overseeing a credit card portfolio at a leading Brazilian bank before establishing Nubank in 2013. Nubank delivers digital financial services through an intuitive mobile application and caters to over 53 million clients throughout Latin America, positioning itself among the top digital banking platforms globally. Junqueira is a strong advocate for gender diversity, spearheading Nubank’s initiatives on inclusivity and advancing women's participation in technology and finance sectors. She currently holds the role of CEO for Nubank Brazil and owns close to 3% of the company.
Early life and education
Born in September 1982 in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Junqueira is the oldest of four sisters. She grew up in Rio de Janeiro and attended St. Ignatius College before completing her industrial engineering degree at the University of São Paulo (USP) in 2004. Beginning her professional journey as an associate consultant at Boston Consulting Group, she simultaneously pursued a master’s degree in economic and financial modeling at USP while working at Unibanco, where she managed sectors focused on small and medium-sized enterprises. Following Unibanco’s merger with Itaú, she advanced to become a portfolio manager within one of Brazil’s largest private banks. She completed her master’s by 2006 and subsequently earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2008.
Career
Upon completing her MBA, Junqueira returned to Brazil to lead the small-to-medium enterprise division at Unibanco, then the nation’s largest private banking institution. After Unibanco merged with Itaú, Brazil’s second-largest private bank, she assumed a portfolio manager position before deciding to leave. Between 2009 and 2012, she was Head of Marketing and Products at Luiza Cred, Itaú Unibanco’s credit card issuer, later overseeing the credit card portfolio for Itaúcard.
Nubank
Junqueira’s tenure at Itaú Unibanco exposed her to a banking system primarily serving affluent customers, motivating her to challenge the market controlled by five banks dominating 80% of Brazil with steep fees and interest rates.
After five years at Itaú, she proposed offering credit cards without commissions alongside enhanced customer communication—suggestions that were dismissed by the bank. Driven by the desire to combat financial exclusion, she left her product management role and partnered with venture capitalist David Vélez from Sequoia Capital, who shared similar concerns about Latin America’s banking environment. Together with Edward Wible, they began fundraising efforts for Nubank.
In 2013, leveraging extensive insight into Brazil’s banking landscape, Junqueira joined forces with Vélez to found a digital bank centered on technology innovation, reduced fees, and user convenience. The name “Nubank” embodies their principles: “nu” sounds like “new” and translates as “nude” in Portuguese, symbolizing openness.
Nubank launched on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2021 under Nu Holdings with a valuation exceeding $50 billion, briefly elevating Junqueira to billionaire status. By late 2023, Nubank had expanded its customer base to over 90 million across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. Valued at $23 billion, it stands as one of Latin America’s fastest-growing digital financial institutions, directly competing with established banks such as Itaú.
Awards and recognition
As Brazil's second self-made female billionaire, Junqueira has earned a spot on Fortune's prestigious 40 under 40 list. She is frequently highlighted in fintech media as one of the foremost startup founders in Latin America. In 2021, she was honored as a Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst, taking part in the New Economy Forum held in Singapore as well as the Catalyst Retreat. The following year, 2022, she was recognized as one of the top 10 leaders within the fintech sector.
Personal life
Since 2006, Junqueira has been married to Rubens Pereira, and together they have three daughters. She prioritizes serving as a constructive role model, expressing, I want my daughters to grow up in an environment where they can aspire to be anything they desire—and you cannot aspire to what you have never seen.