Northwood Staff Profile: Nicole Santos

What do you do at Northwood?

As part of the Operations team here at Northwood, I am responsible for assisting the head trader with executing trades and all client requests. I am also responsible for new client account openings and all transfers.

What do you enjoy most about working at Northwood?

My favorite aspect of working at Northwood is our team and environment. Due to recently joining Northwood and onboarding remotely, I have not had the opportunity of working in person with anyone. However, I have been able to gain a sense of inclusion, build a rapport with the team, and feel part of a very talented group (mostly over "Zoom"). In my opinion, that really tells you something about the company.

What are your favorite things to do outside of work?

In my free time, I love spending time with family. Coming from a Southern European background, my family is far from small. Even though COVID-19 restrictions have made it difficult to get together, we still try to keep in touch and see each other, at a distance. I also enjoy travelling, fitness training, and exploring bike trails around the city. I recently got myself a road bike, so you can catch me on the trails around the city on a Saturday summer morning. If it’s not a riding day, I spend my time on walks with my fur baby, Little Bear!

What has been your favorite place to travel and explore?

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Nicole Canoeing at Emerald Lake

There are so many places I want to see, but I have to say my favorite place to explore was the Baja California Sur, in Mexico. We rented a car, drove through Todos Santos (greatest name – admittedly biased), La Paz and Los Cabos. It was a trip filled of amazing food, culture, people and beaches beyond what I could have imagined! I also really enjoyed visiting Banff and Jasper national parks with their emerald blue lakes, glaciers, and mountain hikes. Over the past year, as we were unable to travel outside the country during the pandemic, it allowed us to focus on some of the great places which Canada has to offer. I want to make a commitment to travel to the Columbia Ice Fields every decade for the rest of my life. It was a startling reminder of the impact we have on our planet.

What hobbies have you picked up during the quarantine?

Believe it or not, woodworking! I love being a good host. When I entertain family or friends, they will be the first to tell you I put together a pretty amazing charcuterie board. I could never find a charcuterie board big enough to use, so I figured… I could make one! I went to a local wood farm and purchased black walnut boards along with woodworking tools and materials, of which I still do not know the name of half of them. I set up shop in my garage, and voila! It ended up being an exciting and rewarding process to turn unfinished wood into something so beautiful, and now each piece is a unique art. Now I have a little home hobby creating custom live edge wooden boards. Also, I also wanted to come out of the pandemic having learned something totally new, so I have also started taking Spanish language classes.