Andy Navarrete
Executive Vice President
Capital One
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
In high school, I quit my paying job as a busboy and took a non-paying internship in Congress.
When I graduated college, I reconnected with a contact in Congress who hired me for a different role.
I volunteered for a political campaign and met someone who hired me for a private sector role.
I decided to apply to law school and used these contacts as my recommendations.
When I graduated law school, I went back to government. My previous experience helped me get hired.
I left government to obtain broader training as a lawyer, and to build relationships in my field.
I was recruited to Capital One as a regulatory specialist, but saw opportunity to expand my work.
I vowed never to say no to an opportunity, and took a myriad of different roles that built on my skills.
Education
High School
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Career
Executive Vice President
I manage Capital One's External Affairs team, which engages with our outside stakeholders.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Government
Problem Solving
Day to Day
Our company loves meetings, so interacting with my team and my colleagues across the enterprise is a big part of my day. We meet to discuss the most significant opportunities and challenges facing our company, and its relationships with the external constituencies that influence what we do. That includes government officials, the media, community leaders and, of course, our customers. Given the scope of our role, we tend to be involved in just about everything going on at the company.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for professionals
You have to be open to new or different opportunities. I began my career in a very specialized area of the law, but soon learned that the substance of what I was working on had the potential to be much more impactful on the company. I did bank regulation, and banks are very highly regulated. That meant educating people across the company about the strategic importance of regulation, and how it impacts their work. I was able to build relationships and credibility that set me up for new roles.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"I was told it was crazy to quit a paying job for an internship. I was told English majors were unemployable. I was told government jobs were a dead end, and that regulatory work was boring. I was told that the secret to success is following the herd."
Challenges I Overcame
First-Generation Immigrant
