Interviewed by Doug Fairbairn and Steve Smith on 2025-03-25 in Mountain View, CA
© Computer History Museum
Cristina was born in 1952 in Italy and raised in a military family. As a result, she moved frequently and mastered the challenge of being the “new kid” in school and learning how to integrate herself quicky into a new environment. She attended Arizona State University, initially as a psychology major. However, a wise counselor advised her to change her major to business, as that was much more likely to lead to a job. She took the advice and stayed at ASU long enough to earn not only a bachelor’s but an MBA as well.
Upon graduation in December 1976, she looked for jobs locally but found the opportunities unattractive. Fortunately, a recruiter referred her to an opportunity in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she eventually landed a job at Memorex in finance. Although the company was going through hard times and downsizing, it was a valuable experience as more and more work fell on her shoulders as others were leaving. She moved on to Itel in 1978, and then on to Qume, a printer company.
She took a break with her husband to go to Italy and when she returned, she was recruited for a job at Hambrecht & Quist, an investment banking and venture capital company, in October 1982. She joined as a research/analyst, but after learning the business, she moved up the management ladder very quickly. She eventually assumed the role of head of high tech banking in 1992. She stayed with H&Q as it was later purchased by Chase and then JPMorgan, where she retired as Vice-Chairman of JPMorganChase in 1993. For 40 years she made a major impact on the investment banking industry, taking hundreds of companies public, and working out of the same offices through all these transitions. Quite a record of achievement and stability in an ever-changing industry
- Note: Transcripts represent what was said in the interview. However, to enhance meaning or add clarification, interviewees have the opportunity to modify this text afterward. This may result in discrepancies between the transcript and the video. Please refer to the transcript for further information – http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/300000012
Visit computerhistory.org/collections/oralhistories/ for more information about the Computer History Museum’s Oral History Collection.
Collection number: 300000013
Acquisition number: 2025.0035
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