Carolyn Trabuco
Board Advisor
A seasoned financial expert and corporate advisor with more than 25 years of experience in finance, business strategy, and sustainable investing. She is the founder and Principal of Thistledown Advisory Group, LLC, a strategic advisory firm focused on sustainable finance and corporate strategy, established in 2017. She also co-founded Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras SA (NYSE: AZUL), Brazil’s largest commercial airline, and has served as an Independent Director since 2008, chairing its Compensation Committee.
Ms. Trabuco’s career spans significant roles in investment management and equity analysis. From 2009 to 2014, she was a Senior Vice President at Phibro Trading LLC and Astenbeck Capital Management LLC, managing global oil and gas commodity and equity analysis. Prior to that, she served as a senior equity research analyst at Pequot Capital Management (2002–2009), specializing in global resources and Latin America, particularly Brazil. She also held positions at Cornerstone Capital Group as Managing Director in 2016, where she focused on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) research, and earlier roles at Fidelity Management and Research Company, First Union, Montgomery Securities, and Lehman Brothers.
Currently, Ms. Trabuco serves as an Independent Director on multiple boards, including Shimmick Corporation (since 2023), Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II (since 2024), and USA Rare Earth, Inc. (since 2025). She previously served on the boards of Sizzle Acquisition Corp. (2021–2024) and Critical Metals Corp. (2024). She is also Chairman for the City of Fairfield, Connecticut, and an adjunct professor of finance at Sacred Heart University.
Ms. Trabuco holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in public administration from Sacred Heart University. She has also completed Executive Education programs at Harvard Business School and Yale School of Management. Her expertise includes M&A, commodity hedging, valuation, and leadership development across various industries. She resides in Fairfield, Connecticut