Continuing this month of inspiration, we had the pleasure to meet with Paola Nuñez, a Peruvian lawyer whose journey from Lima to Brussels is as inspiring as it is intriguing. In an exclusive interview, she shares her experiences as Chief Country Compliance Officer at Citi Bank, breaking barriers and redefining leadership in a traditionally male-dominated field. Paola’s story encapsulates resilience, determination, and the unwavering pursuit of her dreams. Dive into her remarkable journey and discover the essence of modern womanhood through her eyes.

Not in the mood to read, check out our video.

Paola’s Journey

Kingsley: Hello Paola! Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

Paola Nuñez: Hello, I am Paola Nunez, a Peruvian lawyer with an international background. I’ve had the opportunity to live and work in Peru and various European countries.

K: What’s your position?

PN: I’m the chief country compliance officer at Citi Bank. I have two positions at the moment, I’m the AML CO and I oversee the whole area of anti-money laundering and sanctions. And I’m also the citi bank’s compliance point of contact for Belgium. So for everything that concerns Belgian regulations.

K: What’s your educational background?

PN: I did a bachelor’s in Peru. In Peru, a bachelor’s degree takes 6 years to complete because you have to do a two-year internship simultaneously. During these 6 years, I did an exchange in Maastricht, the Netherlands, which was my first European experience and I realized I wanted to live here. After finishing my bachelor’s degree, I passed the bar exam in Peru and became a lawyer. I then did a master’s degree in Lyon at the Catholic University in international business law, in English at the time, as I didn’t speak French very well. I then worked as a lawyer in Peru. After that, I applied for a scholarship from the French Embassy in Peru.
I then applied for a scholarship from the French Embassy in Peru to study European business law at the University of Paris Nanterre, this time in French. It was complicated, but important for me because I wanted to stay in Europe and work here. After several fixed-term contracts in France, I was able to find a permanent contract in Belgium, with which I was offered a visa. This allowed me to work in the legal field in Belgium. During the pandemic, I lost my job, and that’s when I started to open up to other fields. I worked in a company that does transaction for people abroad. After some time, I was contacted via LinkedIn for a nice opportunity at Citi Bank. I’d already done an internship at Citi Bank in Peru, and I had some knowledge of compliance, so that’s how I got started in compliance.

K: What are the three adjectives that best describe you? 

PN:  I am adaptable because I come from a country with a very different culture and I managed to adapt. I am determined because making the decision to leave everything you know to build your life elsewhere is a decision that is not easy, and I would also say courageous.

K: What was your dream job when you were little? 

PN: When I was little, I dreamed of becoming a doctor like my father. But after all these years, I changed my mind and decided to become a lawyer, but always with the same objective of serving others and helping others.

K: What would be your advice for yourself from 10 years ago ? 

PN: My advice would be to take the bar exam sooner to become a lawyer and learn French sooner.

K: Is it difficult for you to be here and to have left your own country ? 

PN: It’s not easy being an immigrant in Europe, it’s an effort you have to make, but it’s true that South America’s political and economic history isn’t the best, so there’s a choice to be made: stay in Peru or make a slightly more difficult choice that could put you in a better situation for yourself and your future life. For me, it’s part of life to look for goals.

Work Life

K: You studied law in Peru, but the regulations are not the same in Belgium, how did you adapt to this ? 

PN:  I did my bachelor’s degree in 6 years in Peru. But I had to relearn the different laws during my master’s degree in Lyon and my master’s degree in Paris. I had to relearn from zero a whole other law in whole new language. But the French and Belgian regulations are not very different and in my position I only have to know the laws relating to compliance and anti-money laundering.

K: As Chief Country Compliance Officer, what are your main responsibilities? 

PN: As a CCCO, I have two important roles, on the one hand in AML as compliance officer I am the bank’s point of contact in Belgium in the field of prevention of anti-money laundering, terrorism and sanctions and on the other hand in Compliance I have to take into account all Belgian and European regulations and apply them on Citi Bank’s Belgian site.

K: What do you think are the key skills for this position? 

PN: It is important to know the country’s regulations, to be proactive, and to be able to communicate effectively in several languages.

K:What’s being a good leader for you ? 

PN: I think the secret to being a good leader is to be a person who accompanies you, a person who wants to succeed in his objectives, but accompanied by his team. It’s important to have a horizontal approach as a leader.

Today’s Women

K: Do you have the impression of working in a male-dominated environment? 

PN: I’m lucky to work at citi bank, because at citi bank the CEO is a woman, and she’s even the first woman in the United States to head a bank. Even here in Brussels, the majority of employees are women, so I don’t have that feeling. It’s a good thing at Citi Bank because it’s true that it’s not a reality in many other companies in the financial sector.

K:  Did you feel a difference in management compared to other companies where you’ve been because there were more women? 

PN: In Europe, I was lucky enough to often work with managers who were women, so I didn’t really feel any difference. In Peru, it’s true that positions of responsibility are often taken by men.

K: Have you ever felt discriminated against because of your gender in the professional world? 

PN: I don’t think I’ve been discriminated against as a woman. I’d even say that I was “positively” discriminated against in another company where I’d worked before, because they needed someone who spoke Spanish, and that was my case. And even at Citi Bank, they give importance to people who belong to “minorities”, so as a Latina woman, I think I’m allowing the company to promote itself because of my origins. Of course, my skills played a part, but it is also a plus.

K: What does it mean to be a woman in 2024?

PN: For me, being a woman in 2024 means being independent and following my dreams.

K: Is there a woman that inspires you ? 

PN: Yes, Mary of Calcutta is a woman who inspires me, because she gave her all to help the less fortunate. She inspires me because, when I went to law school, I wanted to start helping others. Through compliance, I feel like I’m having an impact because I’m making sure that the money that passes through our society is not coming from illicit sources.

K: Do you have something to say to women that want to launch themselves and their career. 

PN: I want to say to women that they should not be afraid, I believe being a woman is being the leader of the society.  Don’t put your dreams on sales for someone else. Follow your own goals to get where you want to be and even further.

K: Do you have future professional goals? 

PN: Yes, I have the feeling that at Citi Bank, there is a lot of opportunity and over time, I hope to be able to evolve in the company.

Don’t put your dreams on sales for someone else. Follow your own goals to get where you want to be and even further.

With determination and courage, Paola shows us that with motivation you can achieve your goals. Her journey, which took her all the way to Belgium, is a source of inspiration.

 

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