What a Non-Linear Career Has Taught Me

I’ve traded derivatives in Mexico City. I’ve walked through villages in Bangladesh, learning how microloans change lives. I’ve closed major M&A deals from a boutique firm in New York. I’ve run finance from the oil complexes of Coatzacoalcos. I’ve built companies from scratch in Guadalajara and scaled them in Mexico City. And now I operate across Houston and Latin America.

My path hasn’t been linear, but it’s definitely been interesting. And it’s taught me that a wide, lived-in career doesn’t weaken your focus. It sharpens your lens.

The Full Journey

I started in Mexico City, trading equities and derivatives, fast-paced, high-stakes, and endlessly competitive. That world taught me how to think on my feet, take hits, and move forward with discipline.

Later, I interned at Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. There, I saw what financial access really means for underserved communities. I wasn’t in a spreadsheet, I was in homes, hearing how a few dollars could change someone’s path. That experience shifted how I think about impact.

After earning my master’s at Columbia, I joined a small boutique investment bank in New York. We worked on some of the largest M&A transactions in Mexico at the time. I learned how to craft a pitch, manage a room, and take responsibility at a young age.

Then came Coatzacoalcos, where I served as CFO of an oil services company. This was real-life finance, payroll, cash flow, and pressure. That role taught me how lonely leadership can be, and how much clarity it demands.

After that, I moved to Guadalajara and founded a traditional financial firm. We evolved it into a fintech as digital lending and payments gained momentum. That’s where I learned how to pivot, build product, and lead in motion.

That path led me to Santander, back in Mexico City, where I helped lead fintech and digital product development at scale. I learned how to push innovation forward inside complex systems and across teams.

Today

I’m based in Houston, working across borders and time zones as I build three ventures: Smile Project Mexico, premium dental tourism for U.S. clients; Compago, the go-to platform for sharing expenses in Mexico; and Berry Goods, a launchpad for breakout consumer products in the U.S.

And I serve as CFO of Winkel Media, which is building the most ambitious out-of-home retail media network in Latin America, starting from mom-and-pop stores and scaling across the region.

Reinvention, by Choice and by Necessity

Some changes I sought. Others I didn’t. Some seasons came from ambition. Others from reality. But each chapter taught me something, about systems, people, pressure, and potential.

I don’t know if a non-linear career is better. There’s no one path. But for me, this range has made my professional life more interesting, energizing, and joyful.

Being involved in so many different spaces, from oil to banking to fintech to e-commerce to retail media, is what keeps my day-to-day exciting. It’s not always easy, but it’s never stagnant. And that matters a lot to me.

I don’t think range makes you better. But I do think it gives you a wider sense of what works, a deeper empathy for different realities, and a stronger lens to build from.

To Anyone Whose Story Is Still Not Defined

There’s pressure to specialize. To stay in one lane. But in my experience, those who stretch, pivot, and keep learning often build the most meaningful things, and lead with the most resilience.

If your path doesn’t fit a clean title, don’t worry. That might be what makes you strong. That might be what makes you stand out, in the best way.