Brazil's Thriving Family Businesses

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http://www.ifb.org.uk/ Visiting Brazil as part of an IFB and Pi-Capital delegation of family business owners and entrepreneurs, last week, gave me a unique opportunity to meet leaders at the forefront of driving the growth and development of this rising global powerhouse.


The programme organised by Leaders Quest, included meeting Persio Arida, managing partner of BTG Pactual (Brazil’s leading investment bank) and Arminio Fraga, head of Gavea Investimentos and former President of the Central Bank of Brazil. Both are respected public figures and provided upbeat assessments on the outlook for their nation which is forecast to emerge as the world’s fifth largest economy. The UK’s Ambassador Alan Charlton also echoed this in a speech to the delegation.

A wave of optimism is sweeping across Brazil and the sense of opportunity is heightened by the fact that it will be hosting the World Cup in 2014 followed by the Rio Olympics in 2016. Meeting well known family-controlled business groups such as Camargo Correa, Odebrecht, Wilson Sons and members of FBN Brazil we saw strong signs of investing for growth. These groups, and others we visited, are achieving long-term sustainable performance, focusing on more than just financial results by strengthening their human resources to drive further growth. In a nation with wide disparities of wealth, there are barriers to social mobility partly due to weaknesses in the education system. The leaders we met are supporting social enterprises that are working to address these and other social issues. Some of the most progressive social entrepreneurs we met include internationally renowned Rodrigo Baggio, of CDI and Dr Vera Cordeiro of Saude Crianca; these and others showed us how their organisations are tackling some of the most endemic issues in their society.

Progressive governance practices are seen as key to enabling Brazil’s leading family controlled groups to achieve clarity in their vision for growth and combined with sound values Brazil’s family business sector is well placed to contribute to driving economic development. Buoyed by an expanding middle class the Brazilian market for goods and services consumption is set to grow, assisted by growth in exports of minerals and commodities. With the scourge of inflation now seen as a historical phenomenon the risks for Brazil veering off course appear to be limited.