Impact Stories

When a Conversation Becomes an Opportunity

By Anna Strickland

How a Forté Industry Meet-Up Led to a Career at UBS

When Nathalia Rios Ballesteros saw the email about a Forté Industry Meet-Up hosted by UBS in New York, she wasn’t sure she would attend.

In fact, she almost didn’t go.

“I received the email and wasn’t sure about going, since I was the only one from my MBA class attending,” Nathalia recalls. “A close friend encouraged me and said, ‘Naty, you have to go. This is your future job.’”

Turns out, she may have had a crystal ball.

When Nathalia arrived at the event, she found herself surrounded by other Forté Fellows, UBS leaders, and recruiters who were eager to talk about trends in the industry, product development, and the many paths that lead into finance.

Going alone turned out to be an advantage.

“I was able to connect with more women and have real conversations,” she says. “I spoke with other Forté Fellows pursuing their MBAs, met several UBS employees, and connected with recruiters. Beyond sharing my background and passion for finance, we even bonded over personal interests like coffee, travel, and my experiences growing up in Colombia.”

By partnering with Forté for an Industry Meet-Up, we wanted to showcase UBS’s culture and career paths while creating space for genuine dialogue."

For UBS, that kind of conversation was exactly the point.

“Our goal was to create a more intentional, relationship-driven way to connect with Forté members beyond traditional recruiting touchpoints,” explains Canisha, Professionals Talent Attraction Specialist at UBS. “By partnering with Forté for a meet-up, we wanted to showcase UBS’s culture and career paths while creating space for genuine dialogue.”

And sometimes, those conversations reveal something that doesn’t always surface in a traditional recruiting process.

During the event, Nathalia’s background stood out — but so did the way she spoke about her experience. As conversations unfolded, it became clear that her blend of a Tech MBA and experience across business analysis, project management, and execution aligned well with UBS’s product roles.

After the event, UBS followed up with Nathalia to explore potential roles.

Today, she works at UBS as a Product Owner on the Client Platforms team, helping shape digital products that support clients and internal teams.

I left the event confident that UBS was a place where I could build a great career. And here I am today."

Looking back, Nathalia sees the Industry Meet-Up as a turning point.

“Listening to the panel speakers, talking with the HR team, and seeing the New York offices of a global bank with colleagues from diverse backgrounds made a strong impression on me,” she says. “I left the event confident that UBS was a place where I could build a great career. And here I am today.”

For UBS, partnerships with Forté provide access to a talented and diverse pipeline of candidates whose backgrounds may not always surface through traditional recruiting channels.

“Forté helps us meet strong candidates who bring solid academics and interesting professional stories," Canisha says. “For Nathalia, it created an early link that later turned into a great hire.”

Events like the Forté Industry Meet-Up are designed to create those moments of connection.

Sometimes, all it takes is one conversation.