Woman quits banking after 14 years in JPMorgan caused burnout: 'I don't blame the bank alone'

'I was so used to introducing myself as, ‘Wilma, who works at JPMorgan.’ I didn’t know who Wilma was otherwise,' Wilma Ramony de Souza, the CEO of a consulting firm for founders and small businesses in Miami, said.

Wilma Ramony de Souza spent 14 years climbing the ranks at JPMorgan, starting as an analyst in São Paulo at 24 and eventually becoming a vice president in New York. But in November 2024, she walked away from banking for good — citing burnout, depression, and a loss of self.

“I was in my mid-twenties, blonde, and not even 5'2, so some of the guys on the trading desk questioned why I was excelling,” she told Business Insider. Wilma joined JPMorgan after four years at the Brazilian Financial and Capital Markets Association. She credits her mentor — a woman with a Spanish accent and bold style — for shaping her career. “People called us the cowgirls — two foreigners in an American bank, trying to build a business in the male-dominated Latin American market.”

Travel, pressure, and personal cost
Wilma worked long hours and travelled constantly. “My six-year relationship ended because I rarely saw my boyfriend; I missed birthdays and Mother's Day.” She said the pay was great, but she had no time for hobbies or rest. “I’d spend money at the spa trying to relax, or on acupuncture to compensate.”

Success in New York, burnout in London
“The accomplishments were like a drug: the more I conquered, the more I wanted.” After moving to New York in 2019, she relocated to Miami during the pandemic, then to London in 2023. But the shift triggered a breakdown. “I had a mild panic attack in the office in December 2022 while managing a major deal.”

She spent a year in therapy before resigning.

Rediscovering herself
“I was so used to introducing myself as, ‘Wilma, who works at JPMorgan.’ I didn’t know who Wilma was otherwise.” Now based in Miami, she’s the CEO of a consulting firm for founders and small businesses. “I wouldn’t change a single thing about my 14 years at the bank,” she said. “It taught me what it means to challenge myself every day and, in the end, be excellent.”