Learning by doing, and enjoying the challenges

“The ITP feels like going to business school in a way,” she says. “It’s not easy but I’m really enjoying the learning process.” 

Understanding the language of … banking 

Raised between New York, Madrid, and Mexico City, Violeta grew up navigating different cultures and languages. In her first rotations across Corporate Sector Lending and now Debt Capital Markets, Violeta experiences the challenge of understanding how finance actually works, well… word by word. 

“There’s a whole new language in banking. Abbreviations, concepts, ways of talking and thinking. I have a notebook to keep track of it.” 

What could feel overwhelming instead became energising. For her, it’s a steep learning curve that turns out to be a rewarding one. “You don’t have to know everything. You just have to keep going.” And over time, the pieces start to connect. 

“We shouldn’t see our lack of knowledge as an insecurity. It’s just where you start.” 

Making a task your own 

Rather than focusing only on technical details, Violeta starts with fundamentals at work.She tends to ask different questions than her peers. 

Over time, that curiosity has become a strength. She continues looking for patterns between economics, politics, and finance, putting what she has learned into action. 

One of her proudest moments came during a debt capacity pitch project. 

“It started as a large concept: how do we structure €1 billion in financing? From there, we worked as a team to figure it out.” 

It was one of the moments where theory became practice. For Violeta, impact is not just about execution, it’s about ownership - making what you have learned your own. This mindset is also what drives how she learns. Without a traditional finance background, she leans into approaching problems differently.  

International by nature, growing over location 

Within the ITP, she finds the same pattern again: people with different paths, perspectives, and stories. And that makes it easy to adapt. 

“I think the ITP really puts the ‘I’ in international. With languages and my upbringing, I feel at ease with new people. I don’t really feel like an outsider anywhere.” 

Violeta has lived in Belgium for some years now, and she genuinely enjoys it. Looking ahead, she has two cities in mind that have marked her to go back to: 

“New York for finance. Mexico City for creativity and perspective.” 

But unlike many early-career profiles, mobility is not her focus. For her, moving abroad is already comfortable. Instead, the question is simpler. 

“It’s not about where I want to go. It’s about what I want to learn.” 

Less by labels, more by action 

“And thus, I try to define myself by what I want to do, not what I want to be.” 

For Violeta, success is not about having everything figured out. It is about movement, and continuous learning. Each step in her ITP journey is less about reaching a fixed point and more about expanding what she understands about finance and people. 

A few words for future ITP candidates 

“Be open. You don’t know what you’ll like yet.” 

For Violeta, the ITP is all about discovery. 

“Have a direction, but stay flexible.” 

A sense of purpose helps, but you should not set limits, let yourself explore. The programme is designed to evolve with you. 

“Authenticity matters, and it can absolutely go hand in hand with professionalism. Never stop developing your critical mind, it’s not only about how you fit within the job, but how the job fits you.” 

For her, it is necessary to bring who she really is into what she does at work, naturally and confidently.