University of South Africa
My interest in the sustainability field began at an early age due to family involvement with social projects in low-income areas of Brazil during the 1990s. Moreover, violence, poverty, exclusion have touched my life: I have lost friends and almost my own life many times in the streets of Rio, which ultimately reinforced my committment to sustainability.
Since then, I have developed sustainability projects aimed at driving social structural change across various countries. These initiatives encompass diverse areas such as education, leadership empowerment, and income generation, for instance through social entrepreneurship and employability. Additionally, I work on many other projects tailored to address local needs.
Since then, I have developed sustainability projects focused on driving social structural change across various countries. These initiatives encompass diverse areas such as education, leadership empowerment, and income generation, for instance through social entrepreneurship and employability. Additionally, I work on many other projects tailored to address local needs.
I combine over 20 years' experience working as a senior sustainability and change manager for multinational corporations such as Telefónica, Indra, or Mapfre Insurance with academic activities in Universities such as Berkeley and Oxford.
When the project ‘Sustainable Supply Chain’, which I designed and implemented in Telefónica, was recognized by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as a world best practice in 2009, my vision and purpose became clear: to drive change by advising and connecting private, public and not-for-profit organizations with communities throughout the world. I have advised organizations such as Santander Bank (Spain and Latin America), the Government of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), the Government of Níjar / Almería (Spain), LEAD International (worldwide) or The Change Foundation (United Kingdom).
I have recently finished a postgraduate degree in Sustainable Urban Development at the University of Oxford. I wanted to understand and systematize my work more deeply using a more rigorous academic lens. I used the education project ‘Leadership Empowerment for Sustainability’, which I conceptualized and implemented, as the basis of my thesis.
I have delivered keynote speeches on topics such as the Sustainable Development Goals, Multi-stakeholder Alliances, Community Engagement and Leadership, in forums such as the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development RIO+20, Burgos International Summit of Culture and various Ibero-American summits.
I am a Fellow of St Catherine’s College Oxford University, LEAD International, and of itdUPM (Innovation and Technology for Development Centre).
I have been featured internationally on many publications and media outlets including El País.