CHRIS PINK
Managing Director with Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Bank
Chris and his wife Paula moved to Charlotte in 2002 from London when Chris joined Wachovia Bank. With three young children under 4 years old they planned to stay for a year or two, but one thing led to another and today, after more than 20 years they are proud to call Charlotte home. After 10 years in New York, they returned to Charlotte in 2019. The children are scattered across the United States; Lucy (25) in Manhattan, Charlie (24) Los Angeles, and Ollie (22) Lexington, VA. Only Lucky, the aging family Labrador is locally born and bred.
Chris grew up in London and after undergraduate school in Manchester and postgraduate school in London he spent a couple of years in Argentina before getting a “proper” job in finance in London. This is where he met Paula, a graphic designer who had also spent time working overseas. The travel bug ran deep so after a few years of living in London they decided they wanted more adventure and together with their young family found their way to the Queen’s City. Last year the family became US Citizens, a process that Chris found moving, sharing the oath ceremony with some remarkable families all of whom are delighted to be part of the American dream.
Chris has worked for more than 30 years in financial services and is passionate about developing great teams and helping people develop their full potential. “Nothing is more rewarding than seeing teammates step up and out of their comfort zone to do things they never felt they would be able to do”. Chris co-heads the Structured Products Group at Wells Fargo a business that provides structured debt solutions for clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to family run enterprises. Chris has held senior leadership positions across Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Bank since 2008 and is currently a member of the Wells Fargo Management Committee. Before joining Wachovia/Wells Fargo in 2002, Chris helped build Quadrant Capital, an independent asset manager in London in 1995 and prior to that worked at Barclays Bank in their Investment banking team from 1990 to 1995.
GET TO KNOW CHRIS
- Fun Fact: I spent almost a year in 1984 as a volunteer building toilets in a village in central India.
- Dancing Experience: Highly limited. Two left feet. Never pretty. Always enthusiastic!
- Why did you choose to support Charlotte Ballet? Charlotte is a fabulous city full of talented and gifted people. A thriving arts scene is the heartbeat of any city, and it is critically important that as Charlotte grows and attracts tens of thousands of new people each year, we help promote arts and culture to make this the most vibrant and enjoyable place to live. What made supporting the Charlotte Ballet so personal to me was the experience that my daughter Lucy had working with Charlotte Ballet from age 5 and being introduced to the wonder and discipline of ballet dancing – a passion she took with her to NYC dancing with Ballet Academy East until she was 18 and then on to Los Angeles at the University of Southern California.
SAMANTHA RIESTER
Seasons with Charlotte Ballet: 1
Samantha Riester trained at the School of American Ballet from 2012-2015. She attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet and Miami City Ballet. After graduating from SAB, she joined Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company and was promoted to their main company in 2017. Samantha has danced soloist roles in repertoire such as Jiří Kylián’s Sechs Tanze, “Pas de Trois” in Swan Lake, “Lady of the Sea” in Val Caniparoli’s Ibsen’s House, “Duet Mabul” in Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, “Curly Cue” in Septime Weber’s Wizard of Oz, “Beauty Fairy” in Sleeping Beauty, “Summer Fairy” in Cinderella, and in Andrea Schermoly’s Swivet.
Samantha has performed numerous ballets choreographed by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Henkel Pickett, Ma Cong, Septime Weber, Nicole Fonte, Stephanie Martinez, Adam Hougland, Jennifer Archibald, Garett Smith, Victoria Morgan, Myles Thatcher, and David Morse. She has enjoyed dancing with outside organizations such as the Cincinnati Opera for its 100th anniversary celebration production of Aida, as well as guesting for her home studio in Indiana where she performed principal roles in George Balanchine’s Emeralds and Concerto Barocco.
GET TO KNOW SAMANTHA
- What inspires you as an artist? Being exposed to different styles of dance throughout my career has been a tremendous source of inspiration and learning. I am really grateful for the opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills through these different techniques that push me outside of my comfort zone. I’m lucky to have been surrounded by such incredible artists throughout my career and they are the ones that truly inspire me. Taking class everyday is one of my favorite parts of being a dancer because I love seeing other artists in their element.
- What is your pre-show ritual? Before a show, my pre-show ritual involves enjoying a PB&J sandwich and listening to music and then quickly eating a mint before stepping on stage.
- What do you like to do to unwind/de-stress? When it comes to unwinding, I find it comforting to visit local parks and explore new restaurants.
About FourBlock
FourBlock is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting returning service members in their transition from military service to meaningful civilian careers. After more than 10 years, our flagship Career Readiness Program is taught by corporate executives in major cities across the U.S. including Charlotte and now serves more than 600 transitioning veterans annually.
Our mission is to equip veterans and military spouses to successfully transition to meaningful civilian careers. Our vision is to build a national professional network where transitioning veterans and military spouses can connect locally and attain the skills, resources, and relationship-building opportunities necessary to reach their career potential.
In 2010, FourBlock started with an inaugural class of 16 transitioning veterans in New York City. Today, we have grown into a nationwide community of professionals eager to continue to make a difference in our communities.
Each year, we now welcome more than 600 new alumni from across the country. The FourBlock alumni community is now 3,500 strong and counting. Our alumni have been hired at more than 500 different companies across the country and around the world.
From leading organizations to launching innovative new ventures, FourBlock veterans are tackling mission critical goals at top companies through the power of the nationwide FourBlock community.
At the very core of our programs and content is relationship building. We help veterans build lasting professional connections. Everything we do supports the opportunity for a transitioning veteran to have a conversation with a hiring manager, so they both may learn from one another, discuss career opportunities, and begin to build a relationship that may lead to meaningful employment.
LEADERS AT A GLANCE
Check out the fundraising competition live via the Star Dancer leaderboard. Support your favorite Star Pair and cast your vote by purchasing tickets or making a donation. All ticket sales and donations received are split 50/50 with Charlotte Ballet and the Star Dancer’s chosen charity. $1=1 Vote! Thank you to all of our sponsors, both corporate and individual, for underwriting the expenses of this event. On March 2, the People’s Choice Award was presented to the Star Pair with the most funds raised. Judges’ Choice Award was presented to the Star Pair the judges determined had the best performance.
Total: $1,531,111
Thank you to our sponsors
- Prima
- Relevé
- Plié
- Pirouette
- Arabesque
