Her Story
About Amanda
Amanda Santos serves as Managing Director at Ernest and Young. In this role, she advises private equity funds, asset managers, and multinational investors on cross-border tax and transaction matters across the U.S. and globally. She helps clients structure investments, navigate international tax rules, and execute transactions across multiple jurisdictions. Santos has been in the tax field since 2006. She earned her law degree in Brazil, graduating magna cum laude and as valedictorian, and received a full scholarship merit-based at NYU School of Law for her LLM in International Tax. She is admitted to both the New York Bar and the Brazilian Bar and is a member of the New York Bar Association. Prior to her current position, she worked at Baker McKenzie and PwC. Santos attributes her success to curiosity, dedication, and a commitment to studying throughout her career, noting the positive cascading effect of decisions made early on as a non-native speaker who advanced to managing director through effort and merit-based scholarships.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Amanda
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success comes from curiosity, dedication, and studying a lot throughout my career and since I was a little girl. It was not one single thing but a positive cascading effect from decisions I took very early on. Being a non-native speaker who made it to managing director shows the power of putting in a lot of effort and getting scholarships based on grades.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Being honest about your goals and fighting for your career, because no one does that for you. If you don't say or ask, they will not help you. Be open about your goals while being reasonable. Loyalty is also very important.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay connected. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Be current on your studies. Talk about your goals out loud so that people can help you and opportunities can come your way.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Staying on top of all the rules and regulations that change constantly, and making sure we leverage AI the right way to achieve better results.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Having a spiritual life, purpose, building strong relationships, doing the right thing, family, and loyalty to your company and mentors.
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