Her Story
About Nicole
Nicole Zambaldi is pursuing a full-time MBA at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin to pivot into energy investment banking. She joined the program after three years at Exxon, where she worked in finance, treasury, upstream planning, and budgeting following earlier roles at Mondelez, Caregipago in customer service and credit analysis, and Sovi in accounting. During her summer internship at Jefferies in Houston, she gained experience advising on M&A buy-side and sell-side transactions as well as IPOs across energy verticals including upstream, midstream, downstream, and OFS. She is a member of the Wall Street for McCombs fellowship council and serves as a student ambassador for her MBA program, helping women and international students break into investment banking. A determined professional originally from Brazil, she attributes her success to persistence, putting herself out there, and staying true to her goals while navigating challenges as a Latina woman in the field.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nicole
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say I'm a very determined person. When I have something in my head, I just stick with it, and there's no space for failure. I really put myself out there, and I do not give up until I achieve my goals. There'll be people that will support you, there will be people that won't. It is really important for you to stick for what you believe, stick with your goals, remember who you are, and do not give up.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
In the very beginning of my career, I had an amazing mentor who told me to be bold, don't be afraid, and explore all the possibilities that the world had to offer. That really inspired me on exploring new career paths that I could never even imagine that I would have an opportunity in.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be ambitious. Don't be afraid to be ambitious. Have a professional goal, and it is never too ambitious. It's never like a goal can never be too big for you. It's okay to be ambitious on your professional life as well, and don't be afraid to pursue your dreams, really.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Being a Latina woman in energy investment banking is not very common. We really need more Latin women in this profession and industry. Earning respect is the hardest part because some people will not see you for your gender or your nationality, but you need to learn how to navigate that. Remember who you are, where you came from, and do not let other opinions get to you. There are supporters who want more women and Latinos in the industry.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Always remember where you came from, and be who you needed when you were younger. Never lose your essence, basically, and really put yourself out there to be the person that you needed the most when you were younger.
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