GW School of Business Podcasts

In this episode, host Stacie Nevadomski Berdan interviews Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja. Margarita is a native of Spain and began her career in Granada — but things took a global turn early in her career when she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and decided to pursue a Master of Law from Harvard University. What began as a few years overseas turned into a successful international career in the US working for some of the biggest law firms based in New York. She's now a partner of DLA Piper, LLC, where she applies her 25 years of experience in finance transactions in emerging markets, particularly Latin America, and leads the regional practice. As Margarita shares her global story, practical tips and advice come across, including the need for having an open mind and being able to build relationships with people who are different, the necessity of grit and perseverance because a global career can be quite challenging, and the value of exploring the Latin American region as the great region to grow your career.

About Our Guest

Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja is a Partner at DLA Piper US, serving as the US-LatAm Practice Group Regional Co-Leader, Finance, and the US-Iberian Initiative. Based in the New York office, Margarita brings over 25 years of extensive experience in project finance, advising financial institutions and corporations on complex financing and commercial transactions across the Americas. Her expertise lies in structuring and negotiating multijurisdictional infrastructure and energy transactions, working with major multilateral agencies, commercial financial institutions, sponsors, project companies, and export credit agencies (ECAs). Margarita also provides counsel on general bank finance, capital markets, and corporate transactions, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and outsourcing. She holds a degree from the Senior Executive Program (SEP) Women in Business Scholarship from IESE Business School (2013), an LL.M. from Harvard Law School (1995), where she was a Fulbright Scholar and received an honorary scholarship from Real Colegio Complutense, and a J.D. from Universidad de Granada (1992). She is admitted to practice in New York. In addition to her professional achievements, Margarita is the Chair of the Women’s Council at the Spain-US Chamber of Commerce, a position she has held since 2021. Her contributions to the legal field have been recognized by The Legal 500 Latin America ranking, where she is recommended for the category Latin America: International Firms Projects and Energy (2023-2025). She has also been named among the Top 100 Female Lawyers in Latin America by Latinvex (2013-2024) and one of the 100 Top Latinas in the US by Hola USA (2020).

About the Global Careers Podcast Series

Hosted by Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, the GW-CIBER Global Careers podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!

About GW-CIBER

The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.

In this episode, host Stacie Nevadomski Berdan interviews Kyriakos Petrakakos. Kyriakos graduated in 2008, when the global financial crisis hit his home country of Greece, as well as greater Europe, very hard. He decided to take a risk and pursue a job in Asia. Although he had grown up in several different countries and speaks 5 languages, he describes how difficult it was to start his career beyond his home country and region, yet he believed Asia was where he wanted to be — and he's been happy there for almost two decades. He's lived in Singapore, Shanghai and Bangkok and now works across the region in strategy and mergers & acquisitions (M&A) for Nutreco. Kyriakos encourages graduates to go where the opportunities are, pursue jobs with multinational companies — but not just the Western household names most are familiar with. He believes GDP growth will continue to be greatest in Asia because of the vibrant, diverse economies and business environments. Have a listen and, if you're interested in learning more from Kyriakos, reach out through his LinkedIn.

About Our Guest

Kyriakos Petrakakos is the Asia head of strategy and corporate development at Nutreco. His background is in strategy/business development (M&A) and P&L management in the chemical, semiconductor and food/feed industries. In his most recent roles, he created and led the strategy and business development departments for PPG PMC and Nutreco in Asia, and for Aalberts Advanced Mechatronics globally. Prior to that, he held various commercial, P&L and strategy/corporate development roles across Asia and the Middle East. Kyriakos has lived, studied and worked in over 10 countries; he is fluent in five languages (English, Italian, Portuguese, French and Greek), and conversant in Mandarin Chinese. He received his MBA from INSEAD, and BSc in Management Science with Honors from the University of Warwick. Kyriakos currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand.

About the Global Careers Podcast Series

Hosted by Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, the GW-CIBER Global Careers podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!

About GW-CIBER

The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.

As he looks back on his career, Matthew Calardo shares that at least two events had a profound impact on his career and his life. One is working for an inspiring mentor he met at GW, and the other is studying Arabic, particularly studying abroad at the American University in Beirut. These two events propelled him through various roles where this philosophy and Middle Eastern studies student picked up finance skills, among other leadership and managerial skills, which enable him to succeed in his current role at a corporate foundation. Tune in and see what other tips this double alumnus shares!

About Our Guest

Matthew Calardo is the global strategic partnership manager for the Caterpillar Foundation. The Caterpillar Foundation builds thriving communities by investing in the skills people need to join the modern workforce, and the natural infrastructure upon which they rely. Prior to this, he was the senior program officer at the Business Council for International Understanding, a nonpartisan, U.S.-based organization that works to expand international trade and commerce. In this capacity, he led BCIU’s Middle East portfolio and worked globally to help corporate members engage with government officials responsible for strengthening commercial, political, and cultural ties. Before joining BCIU, Mr. Calardo worked as a private consultant for the Middle East Investment Initiative and as a fellow at the Aspen Institute. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Calardo managed the George Washington University’s Middle East Policy Forum with Ambassador Edward “Skip” Gnehm, Jr., and served as Ambassador Gnehm’s teaching assistant for undergraduate and graduate courses. Mr. Calardo holds a Master of Arts in Middle East Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy & Public Affairs, both from the George Washington University. He received a certificate in Arabic from the American University of Beirut. Mr. Calardo is also a “40 Under 40” awardee of the Middle East Policy Council. Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, Mr. Calardo lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and two daughters.

About the Global Careers Podcast Series

Hosted by Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, the GW-CIBER Global Careers podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!

About GW-CIBER

The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.

If there is such a thing as a textbook global financial career, Zal Devitre has it. With 20 years of experience in retail banking, asset management and wealth management, he has worked for two of the largest international banks in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia. Tune in to hear his tips for breaking into the competitive financial industry, including the need to be a constant learner, be flexible and willing to learn new skills and take on assignments beyond your current role or comfort zone. Zal shares what he learned working in the Peace Corps in Cameroon, West Africa, and what he would tell his younger self about comparing careers with peers early on.

About Our Guest

Zal Devitre brings over 20 years of experience in the retail banking, asset management and wealth management industries. His professional background spans experiences in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia. Earlier in his career, Zal served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, West Africa, where he functioned as technical advisor to a microfinance bank. He has previously held a number of roles at Citibank in Singapore, including senior branch manager, head of Citigold Private Client, and head of investments. Prior to his current role, Zal led the Global Financial Client Group at Schroders Investment Management Asia, where he was charged with distributing Schroders products across the region. Zal is currently the managing partner at Tenperel Capital, a wealth management advisory firm in Singapore. He is passionate about helping clients achieve financial security, plan for the future, and prudently grow their wealth. Zal holds a Bachelor's degree in International Politics from Georgetown University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

About the Global Careers Podcast Series

This podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!

About GW-CIBER

The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.

In this episode, double GW alumna Robin Roschke shares how she has not only helped her clients through major transformations, but embraced the disruption to transform her own career alongside the major business, market and operational shifts. She highlights the need for upskilling and technical proficiency in today’s skills-based market and offers practical tips on pursuing a global career across the broad and diverse jobs available in the financial industry today.

About Our Guest

Robin Roschke is a transformation executive who has built a career leading major initiatives that redefine how organizations work, deliver services, and support their people through change. With a unique blend of corporate and entrepreneurial experience, she has shaped the future of work at Fortune 500 companies like HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, and Guardian Life Insurance while also co-founding a human capital firm dedicated to making change a competitive advantage.

Robin doesn’t just react to disruption – she drives transformation from the inside out. Whether shaping an executive agenda or being handed one, she excels at mobilizing the resources, talent, and strategy needed to turn vision into reality. With deep expertise across IT, operations, and HR, she understands how to align leadership, workforce strategy, and technology to make change successful and lasting. A natural systems thinker and strategic leader, she connects the dots between business priorities, operational capacity and evolving workforce needs.

About the Global Careers Podcast Series

This podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!

About GW-CIBER

The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.

GW alumna Amanda Ingram launched her career in finance at PwC, starting with her internship while still at GW. She describes the broad breadth of skills she acquired through her role as a consultant in finance, how she was able to pursue a global position in London through an internal program, and then was able to pivot to Morgan Stanley enabling her to use her experience and skills to take a deeper dive into the regulatory reporting field. She offers practical tips about her career journey so far, including the value of her study abroad experience in Spain and the importance of language skills beyond communication into cultural understanding and human interaction. Recent and soon-to-be grads can learn a great deal from Amanda’s story.

About Our Guest

Amanda Ingram is a vice president in the Morgan Stanley Finance Division's Regulatory Reporting Quality Assurance (RRQA) team and focuses on capital and recovery and resolution planning. Amanda has 15+ years of experience in financial services. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, she worked as a consultant at PwC across the New York, London, and Washington, D.C. locations. Her work included assessments of treasury functions, covering liquidity, cash (payments, collections, banking relationships, forecasting), funding, financial risk management, technology, and compliance for banks, insurers, investment managers, and corporates. Amanda has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the George Washington University.

About the Global Careers Podcast Series

This podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!

About GW-CIBER

The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.

Living in London, leading global teams, and working around the world to deliver impact through sustainable finance may sound like a dream job for many. In this episode, GW alumna Dana Barsky discusses how she arrived at her current leadership role and how important it is for finance professionals to have a deep understanding of the financial industry before they begin to specialize. She shares some of the joys and challenges she has faced throughout her global life thus far, as well as practical tips for job seekers interested in a career in international finance. Dana’s own story about how she handled an unpredictable start to her career is as inspiring as it is insightful.

About Our Guest

A senior sustainable finance executive, Ms. Barsky has over 25 years of corporate finance and sustainability experience. She is currently the global head of sustainability strategy and net zero for Standard Chartered Bank, based in London and Singapore. Prior to Standard Chartered Bank, Ms. Barsky was the global head of sustainable finance at Credit Suisse, based in London and Zurich, and served as president of Growth for Good, a special-purpose acquisition company focused on sustainable companies critical to the decarbonization of the global economy. In her various roles, she has mobilized capital for climate finance across asset classes and has worked with multiple MDBs on blended finance transactions, sustainable issuances, and the creation of investment products that specifically mobilize capital to address climate change and support the needed transition to a net zero world. She currently serves on the steering group for Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) and the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab. She graduated magna cum laude from the George Washington University in 1989 with a BBA in Finance and received her MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School in 1995.

About the Global Careers Podcast Series

This podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!

About GW-CIBER

The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.

As Christine Brown-Quinn was wrapping up her MBA in Finance from GW, she was recruited by a financial company in London and relocated there upon graduation. This move launched her stellar career in international finance as she took on more senior roles for the likes of Nomura International and UBS while settling into life with her partner and two kids as UK residents for the past 30 years. In this first episode of our eighth season, Christine shares many tips, including the importance of networking and developing relationships with people, and talks about not letting others define her in her personal or professional life. She describes having an “aha moment” when she was asked to speak to a women’s financial network and realized that many others would benefit from the lessons she had to learn on her own as one of the few senior women in finance.

About Our Guest

Christine Brown-Quinn has an extensive background as a former Managing Director in International Finance in London, where she worked for decades at the likes of Nomura International, UBS and more. But she left the finance world to embark on a mission to dispel the notion that a thriving career must clash with a gratifying personal life. Known as The Female Capitalist® she offers empowering resources for women in business and is a published author of two books (“Step Aside Super Woman” & "Unlock Your Career Success - Knowing the Unwritten Rules Changes Everything”, an Amazon #1 Best Seller). She earned her MBA at GW and has been a strong advocate for GW within its alumni world. Her website can be found at https://www.christinebrown-quinn.com/.

About the Global Careers Podcast Series

This podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!

About GW-CIBER

The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.

As the chief corporate affairs officer for Nokia, Melissa Schoeb shares how she oversees a team of 125 people around the world in the areas of communications, government relations, brand and sustainability while advancing Nokia's reputation. Various emerging tech trends play out differently within a technology company like Nokia, which must consider the role of tech in its products but also how they affect regulations and geopolitics. Melissa talks about balancing the professional and personal parts of her life as she explains how she moved to Finland during the pandemic and then to London with her family.

About Our Guest

Melissa Schoeb is Nokia’s chief corporate affairs officer and oversees communications, government relations, brand and sustainability. Melissa’s priorities are to advance Nokia’s global reputation to drive and support the company’s business strategy as well as help shape relevant debates and ensure a strong voice for Nokia. Prior to joining Nokia in 2021, Melissa worked at Occidental, one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas companies, where she was vice president of corporate affairs. Before Occidental, she held a number of senior leadership positions at FleishmanHillard, one of the world’s leading communications consultancies, and was director of global communications for Nortel Networks, a multinational telecommunications and data networking equipment manufacturer. Melissa also has significant management consulting and business management experience, having held a business director role at The VenCom Group, a venture capital company focused on the telecommunications sector, and consulting roles at Gemini Consulting (now Capgemini). Melissa holds a dual Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Spanish from the University of Mary Washington in the U.S. and has conducted research to define the impact of political initiatives on international economies for the Four Freedoms foundation in Italy. Melissa is based in London, UK, speaks Spanish and Italian fluently, and has lived and worked in several countries in North and South America, Europe and Africa. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, exercising and watching her son play goalie on his youth hockey team.

About the Global Careers Podcast Series

This podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!

About GW-CIBER

The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.

As the vice president of Research & Development IT for Astra Zeneca, Anna Berg Åsberg says she has the best job ever as she leads a global team of hundreds of people across three continents who work to optimize scientists' daily lives through technology. They use technology to speed up the discovery and delivery of medicines to patients, and you can hear the excitement in Anna's voice as she talks about the importance of having a job that can really make a difference in the world. She shares how her engineering career began in telecommunications, then manufacturing, before landing in healthcare, and how managing her international career living and working in Spain, Germany, France, the U.S. (two times), and her native Sweden has oftentimes been complicated, at times lonely, and yet an extraordinary experience for her and her family.

About Our Guest

Anna Berg Åsberg is the vice president of Research & Development IT for Astra Zeneca, responsible for strategy, build, and run for IT in both Oncology and BioPharmaceuticals R&D. Her global team delivers transactional core IT systems as well as transformational data and insight technologies, including engineering, platform and tools for artificial intelligence and digital health capabilities. Anna holds a Master of Science degree from KTH, Royal Institute of Stockholm. Prior to joining AstraZeneca in 2004, Anna studied and worked in numerous European countries, including Germany, Spain, Switzerland and France. She developed a passion for applying IT to diverse organizations and challenges, and launched an IT consultancy company in Hamburg, Germany. Her AstraZeneca career began in Södertälje working with Finance and Enabling Units, followed by a move to the US to provide IT for the U.S. Commercial unit. Anna moved back to Södertälje in 2014 as VP for Operations IT, where she established and started the journey to make AstraZeneca factories ‘smart’ with digital technologies. She assumed her current role in 2019.

About the Global Careers Podcast Series

This podcast presents inspiring stories from seasoned professionals who have embraced a global role and reaped the benefits. We offer practical advice and insider tips across a broad swath of industries and fields around the world about what it is like to work globally. If you love adventure and thrive on taking risks and operating outside your comfort zone, join us as we explore the ins and outs of pursuing an international career!

About GW-CIBER

The George Washington University Center for International Business Education and Research (GW-CIBER) promotes the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise related to the theme of Institutions, Resilient Globalization and Sustainable Competitiveness.