The early years of a startup are usually challenging, but Cristina Junqueira had it harder than most. It was 2013 and she was the only female co-founder at Brazilian fintech Nubank, and she was pregnant. She was at the firm’s cramped first office in São Paulo when her water broke.
At the time, Nubank was a small fintech co-founded by David Vélez, Edward Wible, and Junqueira. They wanted to create a company that improved the customer banking experience by reducing bureaucracy in access to services and high fees, a standard in the heavily-concentrated Brazilian market.
“Looking back at my corporate career, I remember how tough it was [to work in] those predominantly male environments and do things like wear suits just to fit in,” she recalls. “When I co-founded Nubank, I was determined to create a working environment without all the stupid barriers that are very detrimental to women’s career development. Nobody has to go through what I went through.”Nubank’s policies that address gender equality include bringing more women into its technology teams.
All this translates to a more inclusive culture. Women now make up 43% of the digital bank’s workforce of over 2,000 people, including 30% of all senior roles. By comparison, women account for only 8% of senior roles in the banking sector overall in Brazil, according to consulting firm Oliver Wyman.
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Source: Variety - 🏆 108. / 63 Read more »