Episode 2: "From Bahia and a life of poverty to a leadership role in the financial world: a true story of resilience" – Bruna Moreira

"No one gets there alone. Talent and effort aren’t enough, you need someone to take a chance on you." With this phrase, Bruna Moreira, VP and Head of Third Party Risk Management for LATAM at BNP Paribas, captures the essence of her story. And it’s no ordinary story: it’s a real journey from poverty in a small town in northeastern Brazil to holding a leadership position at one of the world’s most prominent banks.

In the second episode of the Dione+ Podcast, Bruna sits down with Daniel Rodríguez, partner at CMS Colombia, to discuss the many obstacles she faced from childhood: material hardship, language barriers, and prejudice based on her origin, her accent, her gender, and her refusal to conform to traditional corporate norms.

But this is not just a story of personal resilience. It’s also a powerful reflection on the role of companies in creating inclusive environments. Bruna doesn’t shy away from the challenges, but she places the spotlight on what can be done: opening doors for diverse talent, investing in education and psychological support, evaluating suppliers through an equity lens, and most of all, leading with empathy.

Her leadership today aims to multiply the impact that others once had on her own journey. Her team includes people from different backgrounds who, thanks to diversity programmes, are building new paths forward. ‘I don’t want them to go through what I did,’ Bruna says. And that’s not just talk, it translates into flexibility, mentoring, and concrete opportunities.