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Nicole Young: Head of CRE Portfolio Management, Wells Fargo

“At the end of the day, the impact I care about most is on people, helping them achieve what they didn’t think was possible and elevating the organization to new levels,” says Nicole Young. “The efficiency, output, and success that result from bringing out their best work are just byproducts of that focus.”

Young is a leader whose passion lies in transformation: unlocking potential in people, teams, and entire organizations. She shares how this mindset has guided her career, from CMBS to consumer lending and back to commercial real estate, where she now leads Wells Fargo’s portfolio management organization.

Building from the Ground Up

With nearly thirty years in commercial real estate at Wells Fargo, Young has navigated multiple facets of the business, from underwriting and origination to credit approval and even workouts during the Global Financial Crisis. Each role sharpened her expertise and resilience, but more importantly, it revealed her talent for building and shaping something from the ground up.

“I was fortunate to be asked to start from scratch and lead our small loan CMBS (Commercial-Backed Mortgage Securities) program, which focused on loans between 1 million and 15 million,” she recalls. “I started the group, structured how it would work, hired the people, developed the process. That was really fulfilling…it’s where I got the taste for building something from the ground up.”

After fifteen years in CMBS, Young made a pivotal decision to move to Wells Fargo’s consumer side, leading underwriting for the home lending group. The transition required scaling her leadership from 20 people to more than 1,700 while transforming the organization to be more efficient and effective. “That was a steep learning curve,” she says. “I had to really learn to lead with data… and understand how standardized processes are critical to making an organization of that size run efficiently and effectively.”

When Kara McShane, Head of Commercial Real Estate, asked her to return five years later to take on a role that demanded both large-scale leadership and efficiency shaped from the start, the decision was an easy one.

“I had always admired Kara’s leadership and knew I would love to work for her. When she contacted me about coming back to CRE, I was thrilled.” She continues, “Wells Fargo had recently consolidated its commercial real estate lines of business, but no one was managing the portfolio as a whole and making sure those businesses were acting and making decisions as one. There was a huge opportunity to create efficiencies through standardization, and I got to build the new Portfolio Management organization from the ground up.”

Today, Young’s group of nearly 400 professionals oversees capital strategy, underwriting, closing, and portfolio management, bringing consistency, efficiency, and risk mitigation across the organization.

“Kara’s vision of bringing those groups together and leading them as one unit has really paid off given that we are rated the #1 Global Real Estate Bond Bookrunner, #1 CMBS, #1 Bank Agency lender, #1 Construction lender, and #1 in Loan Syndications.”

Learning to Lead at Scale

As Young progressed into senior leadership, she quickly realized that success required developing new skills, most notably, learning how to lead at scale and communicate effectively across large, complex organizations. When she transitioned to leading a team of 1,700, she remembers her boss giving her valuable advice that fundamentally shifted her mindset.

“He said, ‘I need you to lead the people, not the work’…it really shifted me from feeling like I needed to be the subject matter expert to recognizing that I’m here to lead the people. They can be the subject matter experts. My job is to guide them, give them the vision, and make sure the organization is moving in the right direction.”

Young notes that another key part of leading at scale is mastering communication in many directions: down to the team, out to the organization, and up to executive leadership.

“With my team that means ensuring they understand the vision, are aligned around the priorities and the mission, and are inspired to do their best work to deliver for our clients. To do that, I spend a lot of time with the team individually and in groups.”

In communicating up and out to executives, regulators, and the board, Young explains, “It’s about taking the complex and making it simple, understanding your audience, and tailoring your message with the right level of detail.” For Young, effective leadership at scale depends on both connecting with her team and translating that insight for the broader organization.

Authenticity and Grit

Young’s experience learning to lead at scale also reinforced a few key traits that have consistently supported her success. Young attributes much of her leadership growth to a willingness to embrace new challenges and learn continuously. “I’ve taken on different roles throughout my career where I didn’t necessarily have deep expertise,” she says, “but I was always willing to dig in and figure it out. That willingness to learn and to tackle hard challenges is important.”

Young also points to authenticity as foundational to her approach. “I don’t put on a façade…I’m direct and frank, which some people like and some may not, but this is the real me. I lead my team that way, and I try to always be honest and transparent.” That straightforward approach, combined with high expectations, has helped her bring out the best in the people she leads. “One of the things I’m most proud of is the team I build and what I can help them achieve.”

Finally, grit and drive are an important part of the mix. “You can’t underestimate the power of hard work,” she notes. “It has served me well throughout my career.”

Believing in Others as They Believed in Her

While Young’s drive, authenticity, and willingness to take on challenges were essential building blocks to her career progression, she is quick to credit the support she received from both Wells Fargo and the people around her. Early on, she balanced career ambitions with family responsibilities, working part-time as a young mother while continuing to excel in her role.

“People saw my potential and believed in me—Wells Fargo believed in me—and were willing to wait until the time was right for me to step into bigger roles…I appreciate that I was given the time and space when I needed it and I try to do the same for my team.”

Now, Young pays that support forward. “When I see someone’s potential, I bring them in, help them develop, and give them a platform to grow. Sometimes that even means helping them move to other parts of the organization where they can expand their skills.”

Bringing Out the Best

The commitment to lifting others up naturally extends into how Young leads her own team. A defining principle of her leadership is written clearly on her whiteboard: What did I do today to make the team better?

“I spend time really trying to figure out what motivates people individually and collectively as at team to bring out the best in them. I give stretch assignments that get them to do more than they think is possible,” she explains. “When they’ve done the work, I make sure they’re the ones presenting it. They deserve the visibility and the access to other leaders.”

That people-first philosophy is both Young’s leadership signature and her source of fulfillment. She finds meaning in seeing her team grow, whether it is employees she once hired fresh out of college who are now thriving across the organization, or former team members who choose to come back and work for her again. “That to me is amazing,” she says. “Seeing people’s success and knowing you had a part in getting them there is truly fulfilling.”

Even after building multiple teams and functions, Young remains motivated by challenge and transformation. “We have a few more years before this group is a completely well-oiled machine… but it’s exciting to see the impact. Ultimately, success isn’t just efficiency—it’s the growth and fulfillment of the people I lead.”

By Jessica Robaire

October 20, 2025/by The Glass Hammer

Angela Cruz: Sales Effectiveness Leader, Sales Excellence, Accenture

People, Voices of Experience

“One of my love languages is acts of service, and at work, I manifest that through mentoring, supporting career advancement, anything that fosters engagement,” says Angela Cruz. “It’s how I bring to life a part of me that’s very important to my soul.”

For Cruz, the work matters, but it is the people, the learning, and the community that make it meaningful. She shares how through every chapter of her journey, authenticity, connection, curiosity, and service are the compass guiding both her growth and her leadership.

From Technical Skills to Personal Alignment

Moving from the Dominican Republic to the United States at fifteen, Cruz faced the dual challenges of learning English and adapting to a new culture, yet she remained optimistic about the possibilities ahead. She started her studies at a community college, the most affordable and accessible option, and explored different paths before settling on electrical engineering. The choice was pragmatic rather than inspired. “It wasn’t a calling,” she reflects. “I wanted to finish college with a career that had a financially stable future, and technical careers were very well paid.”

That practical decision laid the foundation for Cruz’ first professional chapter at AT&T Bell Labs, where she spent 15 years. She describes it as “like what working for Google or Apple is today,” a place defined by PhDs and cutting-edge innovation. “That’s where I grew up professionally,” she says. But just as important, “that’s where I also learned about corporate culture… to get involved in passion projects that contributed to the culture of the team and the company.”

After more than a decade in technical roles, Cruz realized her personality aligned more naturally with business development. Marketing became a bridge into sales, where she discovered the work felt intuitive. “Sales isn’t something you really learn in a university,” she explains. “It was something I evolved to, and it had a lot to do with my personality—my ability to connect people and build relationships, which is the heart of what sales is.”

Cruz’ combination of technical grounding and people-centered skills propelled her into sales leadership across the telecommunications and software platform landscape. Today at Accenture, she brings those same strengths to her role as Sales Effectiveness leader for Sales Excellence.

“I’m in a sales-effectiveness role, helping account teams bring innovative solutions to clients, all anchored on GenAI and Agentic Architecture. To be in a role that is so relevant to what’s business reinvention and transformation– it’s a huge privilege.”

Connection, Adaptability, and Purpose

The qualities that have carried Cruz forward extend well beyond relationship-building; she describes how cultural alignment, adaptability, and purpose also play a defining role.

“I learned at a certain point in my career what my strengths were in terms of cultural alignment. When I transitioned into sales, I worked a lot with Caribbean and Latin America, which is where I come from. Having the dual language and the cultural sensitivity gave me an edge in navigating that transition, which was very motivating for me.”

That shift into sales also coincided with a move from New Jersey to Miami, which tested and reinforced her adaptability. “Flexibility, being open to adjust to different environments, adapting to new circumstances, it’s something I learned very early on, and that trait has helped me along the way as I navigated my career.”

While connection and adaptability opened doors, purpose is the force that sustains Cruz.

“Every company I’ve been at, I’ve always combined my responsibilities with volunteer work both within the company and within the community. That’s what has kept me with a high level of enthusiasm for what I do. I always need to have the two: not just the job, but also the engagement.”

Leaning on Guidance

As much as Cruz’ strengths have contributed to her achievement, so too are the people who believed in her potential. “I’ve always had a personal board of directors. Some people come into your life for a season, for a reason, or for a lifetime. I’ve had all those types of influences.”

Cruz highlights the mentor who gave her a chance when she had no sales experience and sponsored her move to Miami. “I experienced impostor syndrome in the beginning, but his encouragement eased the transition. He’s always been invested in my success and has been there through every career milestone.”

That kind of support has remained important at every stage of her career. When Cruz joined Accenture through an acquisition, she recalls how overwhelming the transition felt. “When you come as a group that was just acquired, you’re completely lost. But I was fortunate to work with people like Alex Tyler, a Managing Director and extraordinary leader who was kind, patient and recognized my value.” Those experiences of being championed are at the heart of why she invests so deeply in others. “I know the power of sponsorship, mentorship, and advocacy. I’ve fully taken advantage of it, and that’s why I feel so strongly about paying it forward!”

Family is also a grounding force. Cruz credits her grandmother, now 101, as a pillar and role model. “She had 13 kids, and now there are about 169 family members over five generations. She’s taught me resilience, strength, faith, and positive mindset. She loves music, she’s witty, light-hearted and full of joy. She’s been a huge influence and my source of inspiration.”

Bring Your Full Self and Build Community

Nearly four decades after making the pivotal decision to study electrical engineering, Cruz was invited to return to her alma mater to deliver the commencement address. Speaking to over 1,800 graduates, many from underrepresented backgrounds, her message was both simple and profound: “Always be proud of who you are, and bring your full self to whatever environment you’re in. It’s what makes you unique, and the world needs you as an individual and what you bring to the table.”

Second, she highlighted the importance of building community. “I’ve moved and started over several times. Managing those transitions successfully is only possible when you make community, when you connect with people, when you find affinity and appreciate differences. The differences are where you learn.”

For Cruz, this same principle applies in business. Networking, she explains, is less about career advancement than about deepening understanding. “That’s where you really learn –when you connect with people in different companies that do different things than you do. It enriches you as a professional and as a person.”

Continuous Learning, Lasting Pride

Even at this stage of her career, Cruz challenges herself to try something new, recognizing that part of her success is a willingness to evolve. “Continuous learning has been a key driver,” she reflects. “I have reinvented myself quite a few times because I’ve always been open, flexible, and curious to learn.”

Her current position at Accenture is a clear example of that mindset in action. “This was a stretch assignment for me. While I had worked in Sales Operations in the past, the scope is much broader here, in fact is called Sales Excellence for a reason, best in class. There was a lot I needed to learn… and I said, yes, I’ll do it.”

Cruz reflects on the impact of that choice. “Fast forward one year, I feel very privileged and successful, because I helped the team achieve the goals the firm established. It fills me with a lot of pride.”

When it comes to her greatest accomplishment, however, Cruz does not look to her career. “I have very strong family values and my kids are a huge source of pride for me. They are grown and very successful professionals – my older son is in cybersecurity at Zendesk, my younger son is a digital content producer with the Miami Heat, and my daughter works for the president of TelevisaUnivision. I raised them as single parent, and to me, that is, besides work or anything else, my biggest accomplishment. They are my anchor and my beacon of light.”