OI 163 ing
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# 163 vol. XL NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 English Edition MAJOR MILESTONES IN 2012 Symbols of conviction, partnership and the ethos of service
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Transcript of OI 163 ing
# 163 vol. XL NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 English Edition
Major Milestones in 2012Symbols of conviction, partnership and the ethos of service
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The Carvalhos Bridge, the first project built through the Group’s Recife Office, which turned 50 in 2012
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Online edition Online archive
> The focus on the sustainability of its products, projects and practices is a key differentiator that makes Braskem an outstanding company.
> Norberto Odebrecht’s father, the pioneering engineer Emílio Odebrecht, died 50 years ago. Emílio got his son started in the civil construction business.
> Access all back issues of Odebrecht Informa since no. 1, and download full issues in PDF.
> Odebrecht Annual Reports since 2002.
> Special publications (Special Issue on Social Programs, 60 years of the Odebrecht Group, 40 Years of the Odebrecht Foundation and 10 Years of Odeprev).
www.odebrechtonline.com.br
> You can read this entire issue in HTML and PDF.
informa
Video reports Blog
> A conversation with engineer Piero Marianetti, who used his profession to make another dream come true – becoming a farmer.
www.odebrechtonline.com.br > Online edition of Odebrecht Informa. > Reports, features, videos, photos, animations and infographics.
> Diversification of business activities throughout the country and grooming leaders mark the current phase of Odebrecht Argentina as it celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2012.
> Members recall the trajectory of Braskem, a company created 10 years ago whose origins are linked to the most important milestones in the history of Brazilian petrochemicals.
> The most important venue for the dramatic arts in Salvador, Bahia, the Castro Alves Theater is marking its 45th anniversary as the backdrop for watershed moments in the history of music and drama in Brazil.
> PURIFYING CYCLE
The Aquapolo Project prevents water shortages through sewage treatment and recycling for industrial use.
> Follow Odebrecht Informa on Twitter and get news in real time @odbinforma
> Comment on blog posts and participate by sending your suggestions to the editors
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MAJOR MILESTONES
#163Message: Marcelo Odebrecht, who is marking 20 years of work with the Group, discusses a company’s greatest asset – people
Braskem, 10 years: the ideas and initiatives that led to the construction of the leading petrochemical company in the Americas
Interview: Braskem Entrepreneurial Leader (CEO) Carlos Fadigas speaks of the need to bolster the petrochemical industry’s supply chain
Dominican Republic, 10 years: teams are actively present wherever development requires them
TEO: eight Angolan members mark 25 years with the company; eight exemplary stories of growth and overcoming obstacles
Recife Office, 50 years: after playing a key role in Odebrecht’s national expansion in Brazil, it is also a hub for grooming the Group’s leaders
Venezuela, 20 years: the iconic story of a partnership between a company and a country
ETH, 5 years: a company destined to transform the sugar-ethanol sector in Brazil
Argentina, 25 years: a joint journey that began with a hydroelectric plant in Patagonia
Folks: José Manuel, André and Elizabeth and their daily lives in Angola, Mozambique and the United States
Odebrecht Energia, 1 year: the challenges and protagonists of a young energy sector pioneer
Mexico, 20 years: the Group’s crosscutting operations, from Los Huites to Ethylene XXI, Sinaloa to Veracruz
Southern Bahia Lowlands: the President Tancredo Neves and Igrapiúna Rural Family Houses mark 10 and 5 years of educational activity
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Cover: Braskem members at the Camaçari Complex, Bahia, Brazil Photo by Edu Simões
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MAJOR MILESTONES58
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Profile: Tiago Britto, a 40-year Odebrecht member, and the pleasure of passing on his knowledge to young partners
Ecuador, 25 years, and Colombia, 20 years: different stories with the same theme of contribution through key projects
FDOT: Odebrecht’s productive 20-year relationship with the Florida Department of Transportation
Castro Alves Theater, 45 years: the doors to this temple of Bahian culture are opening ever wider
Savvy: Hélcio Colodete and the childhood lessons he carries with him to this day
PRP project, 10 years: people are the beginning and end of this initiative in the metropolitan region of Luanda, Angola
The map shows the countries and Brazilian states (in beige) where the projects and programs described in this issue of Odebrecht Informa are located, and where the people who feature in these stories live and work
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Mexico
Argentina
5 year
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1 year
Odebrecht Energia
ETH
USA
Ecuador
Colombia
Igrapiúna
Castro Alves Theater
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20 year
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25 year
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45 year
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50 year
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Dominican Republic
PRP - Angola
Venezuela
Recife Office
Braskem
Pres. Tancredo Neves
EDITORIAL
Truth in numbers
his issue of Odebrecht Informa is dedicated to
milestone dates for the Group’s companies in
2012. This year, Odebrecht is celebrating many
“birthdays” of special significance. These are
numbers that especially symbolize the success of the con-
ceptualization and execution of entrepreneurial strategies,
as well as the successful aim of establishing a permanent
presence in our chosen businesses and countries. These
major milestones in 2012 reflect the basic premises of an
entrepreneurial trajectory in which the words “disengage-
ment” and “superficiality” are not in our vocabulary.
Coming to stay. That’s the idea. So is the goal of providing
qualified assistance and growing on the basis of our Ethos of
Service. Whether it is in Venezuela, where Odebrecht teams
began working 20 years ago, or in the Ethanol and Sugar
business, which the Group entered precisely five years ago
through ETH Bioenergy; in Argentina, a country where we
are celebrating a 25-year presence, or at Braskem, which
is marking the 10th anniversary of its creation, we certainly
view these dates as cause for celebration, but they particu-
larly represent opportunities for reflection.
As the saying goes, “The numbers don’t lie.” We could say
in this case that the numbers tell major and definitive truths
- the truth about work, outstanding contributions, confi-
dence in people and the thrill of being alongside them when
they see their future being unveiled.
With this issue, Odebrecht Informa - which, incidentally,
will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year - congratulates
everyone who, in one way or another, has helped build the
trajectories reported in the following pages. And this, of
course, includes you - our reader.
Good reading.
“This year, Odebrecht is
celebrating many ‘birthdays’ of
special significance. These are numbers
that especially symbolize the success of the
conceptualization and execution of
entrepreneurial strategies, as well as the successful
aim of establishing a permanent
presence in its chosen businesses
and countries”
T
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IS ThE kEYcultureIn an essay written
especially for this issue, Marcelo Odebrecht, President and CEO of Odebrecht S.A.,
underscores the role of Culture in the Group’s
history and future
ur organization has grown considerably in
recent years, in every sphere. One of them
draws particular attention: in three years,
we have brought in nearly 100,000 new
members. In 2009, we had 87,000, and by
the second half of 2012, we were almost 180,000 strong
(including people of 60 nationalities who are working
in and exporting products and services to 60 countries
around the globe).
This new reality poses challenges of equal proportion.
The biggest is preserving our Culture and renewing it on
a basis of principles and philosophical concepts that never
changes.
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For this reason, the history of the Group has a role to
play - and not a minor one. By learning about the activities,
feats and achievements of the people who are part of our
entrepreneurial trajectory, we gain access to useful experi-
ences for our lives and work, establishing a connection to
the generations that came before us. We can propel our-
selves into the future by walking the paths of past genera-
tions, and learning from their examples and achievements.
Therefore, I would like to take the opportunity of this
issue of Odebrecht Informa, which is dedicated to major
milestones in our history in 2012, to underscore some key
points that I feel to be essential, and share them with you.
The role of our CultureThe first point is the decisive role of our Culture in the
construction of our journey so far.
Our Culture is our way of being, thinking, acting, pro-
ducing, and relating with our Clients and partners, and the
communities in which we are present.
Our Culture is the ethos that drives our leaders, their
teams, and each of us individually, as we carry and transmit
the values and principles of TEO [the Odebrecht Entrepre-
neurial Technology] in our everyday activities, which en-
ables us to establish relationships of trust with our Clients
and Shareholders, working in a decentralized fashion with
planned delegation of responsibility, as partners who share
the results achieved.
Hence the importance of keeping our Culture alive and
up to date.
Team spirit and the role of the LeaderIt is also important to recognize that the trajectories and
results the Odebrecht Group has achieved so far are the re-
sult of team spirit, with a focus on giving better service to
each individual Client.
Odebrecht’s 25th anniversary in Argentina and Ecuador,
20 years in Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, 10 years of
Braskem and our presence in the Dominican Republic, five
years of ETH, and other milestones represent a collective
effort in several areas, on the Management Line and in
Support, based on qualified, in-depth communication be-
tween people from different generations.
However, qualified teams cannot form or get to work
without the presence of Leaders who know their team
members’ strengths, consolidate their activities and foster
the conditions for the success of the program under their
responsibility.
At Odebrecht, these attributes are necessary but not
sufficient. In our organization, a Leader is not just the Di-
rector of their mission but also plays the decisive role of
Educator.
By Leaders, we mean Educational Leaders who have
adhered to our principles with conviction, assimilating our
beliefs and values, and putting them into practice. They en-
courage their team members’ self-development, and use
their own example to develop the Ethos of Service in every-
one around them.
Our significant growth in recent years, which has gener-
ated a remarkable increase in the hiring of new members,
has taught us that our Culture and its humanistic values
can be assimilated and practiced more easily and quickly
than we had thought. It simply depends on the team mem-
ber’s character and disposition, on the one hand, and the
practice of the Pedagogy of Presence by their Educational
Leader on the other.
Belonging and stayingFinally, by publishing the statements of people who have
been with Odebrecht for many years, this issue enhances
our ability to attract and assimilate high-quality people and
continually offer them fresh opportunities to grow and rein-
vent their careers.
This is one of our differentiators: the low turnover of our
teams. Most people who join Odebrecht stay on for many
years. For this reason, among others, we are innovating our
annual program of presenting medals for time spent with
the Group by expanding the milestones to include mem-
bers who are completing or have completed 30, 40 and 50
years of work.
These long journeys involve a process of continuous
self-development, and are directly linked to our Culture,
the Society of Trust in which we work, the freedom to create
and produce, and the presence of down-to-earth, acces-
sible Leaders, among many other aspects that foster a true
sense of belonging.
Our Culture is the key, and preserving and enhancing
this asset is the biggest challenge facing each and every
one of us today.
Therefore – as I said at the beginning of this mes-
sage – our history plays an important role. In an anal-
ogy with archery, we know that the more we stretch the
bow, the farther, stronger and more accurately the arrow
will travel. In other words, by broadening our knowledge
of our past, we are strengthening the foundations for
achieving more and better results in the future.
Marcelo Bahia Odebrecht is President and CEO of
Odebrecht S.A., and a 20-year Member of the Group.
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PEOPLE AND ThEIR
achievements
Braskem invests in grooming leaders and moves forward with its international expansion
A Braskem member at one of the company’s units in Brazil: global outlook and cultural alignment
written by Thereza MarTins
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lagoas, Bahia, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio
de Janeiro, São Paulo, Pennsylvania,
Texas, West Virginia, Schkopau, Wes-
seling and Veracruz. Brazil, the USA,
Germany and Mexico. This is Braskem’s
geography today, the map on which its 36 plants are dis-
tributed 10 years after the company’s inception.
In 2002, the Braskem brand arrived in the market
through ads placed in newspapers and magazines to
reflect the spirit of the company that had just been
born: “The future of Brazilian petrochemicals has a
name.” Two hundred options were assessed before
reaching the final decision. Braskem was the chosen
name because it combines “Bras,” known in the inter-
national market as an indicator of a Brazilian company,
and “kem,” from the Greek root for “chemicals.”
Ten years later, confirming that inaugural an-
nouncement, Braskem is the industry’s leader in the
Americas, with annual production of 16 million metric
tons of thermoplastic resins and other petrochemical
products. It is also the world’s largest producer of bio-
polymers, a position achieved in 2010 through industri-
al-scale production of “green” plastic made with sug-
arcane ethanol. After a decade of operations, Braskem
has many stories to tell.
Origins at OdebrechtBraskem’s history dates back to the late 1970s and
early 80s, when the Brazilian government invited Ode-
brecht to invest in the petrochemical industry. At the
time, the Group’s operations, were focused on civil
engineering and construction. It wanted to diversify its
businesses, so it accepted the invitation, going on to ac-
quire a 33% stake in Companhia Petroquímica Cama-
çari (CPC), a PVC producer based in the state of Bahia.
Carlos Fadigas, Braskem’s CEO since 2010, recalls
some of the highlights of this story in this article, as well
as in the Interview section of Odebrecht Informa (begin-
ning on page 20). “We faced numerous challenges at
first. They ranged from ensuring the availability of raw
materials and inputs to grooming specialized teams.
Additionally, the companies that eventually merged to
form Braskem had low production scale, only manufac-
tured one or just a few products, and were not vertically
integrated, so they did not benefit from synergies.”
In the early years, Odebrecht’s business strategy for
the petrochemical industry focused on acquiring stakes
in companies operating in that sector. In the 1990s, it
made acquisitions through the Federal Government’s
National Privatization Program, which fostered a new
business environment in which competitiveness was
the number-one rule for the companies’ survival.
For the petrochemical industry, one of the fac-
tors of competitiveness was (and still is) derived from
economies of scale and synergies. This was the path
that Odebrecht took through holdings and acquisi-
tions made over the course of two decades. In 2001,
in partnership with the Mariani Group, Odebrecht ac-
quired control of Companhia Petroquímica do Nordeste
(Copene) in Camaçari, thereby consolidating ethylene
plants with polymer producers – an unprecedented
process in Brazil – resulting in the creation of Braskem
one year later.
Rapid growthThanks to its origins, Braskem is a company that
was born with a diversified portfolio, industrial units
and offices in Brazil, and commercial bases abroad.
Successive acquisitions have marked the company’s
A
rapid growth to this day, initially in Brazil, consolidating
the petrochemical industry, and then seeking oppor-
tunities abroad. Odebrecht and Petrobras, Braskem’s
two main shareholders, spearheaded the acquisition
of the Ipiranga Group (2007) and Quattor (2010), driv-
ing the company to become the leading thermoplastics
producer in the Americas.
Internationalizing its industrial operations is part
of Braskem’s business strategy, and the first move in
this direction took place in 2010, with the acquisition
and merger of the polypropylene (PP) assets of a US
company, Sunoco Chemicals. In 2011, Braskem also
acquired the PP assets of another American company,
Dow Chemical: two plants in the US and two in Ger-
many, making Braskem the leading PP producer in the
United States, the world’s biggest market for thermo-
plastic resins.
Keeping to the path of international expansion,
Braskem is also investing in new plants in Latin
America. Currently, the most advanced project is
Ethylene XXI, which is being developed in the State
of Veracruz, Mexico, in partnership with a local pet-
rochemical company, Idesa. “The petrochemical
complex will have annual production capacity of over
one million metric tons of polyethylene in competi-
tive conditions, increasing the share of gas in our mix
of raw materials,” said Marcelo Lyra, the company’s
Vice President for Institutional Relations and Sustain-
able Development. The new plant is expected to begin
operations by 2015. Other projects are under study
in Peru and Venezuela, both based on the use of gas
extracted from natural reserves, which is more com-
petitive than naphtha.
People and cultureTo support its internationalization process, Braskem
invests in grooming leaders with global vision and cul-
tural alignment. Another challenge has been to groom
and unify people, considering the characteristics of the
company’s growth through successive acquisitions in
Brazil and other countries. While fulfilling their mis-
sion of sharing the company’s corporate culture with
their new colleagues, Braskem’s People & Organiza-
tion (P&O) teams have focused on disseminating the
principles of the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technol-
ogy (TEO), with emphasis on Education through Work,
confidence in people, decentralization, and clear and
transparent communication.
“Our members have shown an interest in and
admiration for Braskem’s culture,” says Eduardo
Bulgarelli, Responsible for P&O in Latin America.
“Adapting it to the local language and implementing it
in practice are major challenges,” said Irlam Aragão,
Responsible for P&O in the United States and Europe.
In this context, building lasting relationships with
clients while meeting their needs with the ethos of
service is a key factor. The fulfillment of this com-
mitment, coupled with creativity, stands to benefit
the country’s entire plastics supply chain. A recent
example was Braskem’s work to influence the Bra-
zilian government’s measures in favor of the do-
mestic industry. “We were successful in including
plastic manufacturing in the sectors that benefit
from payroll tax relief,” says Carlos Fadigas. He also
mentions the work being done in conjunction with
Abiquim (the Brazilian Chemical Industry Associa-
tion) to include the industry’s products among the
100 items that were temporarily subject to higher
import tariffs this year.to grow
Braskem Unit in the USA: the company arrived in that country in 2010
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Since its inception, Braskem has prioritized new
ideas and technologies to better serve its clients, pro-
viding products that will benefit consumers and society
as a whole while streamlining industrial processes. A
significant milestone was the creation of the Braskem
Innovation Program in 2004, giving a major boost to the
sector.
“The advances achieved through investments and
hard work have enabled us to develop more sophis-
ticated products with better performance, use more
competitive catalysts in polymer plants, and make ad-
vances in research on renewables,” says Luis Cassi-
nelli, the officer Responsible for Corporate Innovation,
an area that works with long-term projects. Braskem
owns and operates three research centers, two in Bra-
zil and the other in the United States, as well as 19
high-quality labs.
Patrick Teyssonneyre, the officer Responsible for
Innovation and Technology at the Polyolefins and Vi-
nyls Units, emphasizes that the firms Braskem has
acquired have retained their own innovation struc-
tures, and the consolidation of these areas has
brought numerous benefits. “The merger has meant
that today we have an outstanding and diverse team
in terms of experience, qualifications, training and
knowledge,” he says.
Apart from its own laboratories, Braskem works
in partnership with research institutes and centers.
One example is the National Bioscience Laboratory
(LNBio) in Campinas, São Paulo, which is linked to
the Ministry of Science and Technology. There, the
company has a 250-sq.m area at its disposal, includ-
ing offices and laboratories where researchers study
the genetic manipulation of microorganisms with a
focus on sugarcane, and seek new paths for produc-
ing renewables.
“About 50 research centers around the world are
manipulating technologies, like we are, looking for
breakthrough solutions in the field of renewables,”
says Renewables Process Manager Roberto Werneck
do Carmo. Standing beside him, Biotechnology Man-
ager Avram Slovic observes: “Braskem has a long
track record in petrochemical processes, and has left
its comfort zone to seek new sources of knowledge
and invest in the line of renewables.”
The research that opened the doors to this new
universe was initially conducted at the Triunfo Pet-
rochemical Complex Center for Technology and In-
novation in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul,
and gave rise to the “green” polyethylene (PE) project.
In 2010, Braskem opened its “green” ethylene plant
at the same complex, with production based on sug-
Plant in Germany: putting down roots in Europe. Opposite, one of the company’s Technology & Innovation Center units in Triunfo, Brazil: new fronts of knowledge
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arcane ethanol. The unit has an annual production
capacity of 200,000 metric tons.
Marcelo Nunes, the officer Responsible for the
Renewable Chemicals Business, explains that there
is a global trend to find products with renewable
sources, and the market’s demand for “green” PE
is growing. “There are also expectations regarding
‘green’ PP, another project Braskem is developing,
although the launch date has not been set,” he says.
Sustainable chemicalsBraskem is marking its tenth anniversary with ac-
cumulated experience and achievements in keeping
with its long-term vision, its Vision for 2020: being a
world leader in sustainable chemicals, and innovat-
ing to give people better service. This means ensur-
ing sustainable performance in the management of
the environmental, social and economic impacts of
the company’s operations.
“Our activities in this regard include seeking in-
creasingly sustainable sources, operations and prod-
ucts, and offering solutions for a more sustainable
lifestyle,” says Jorge Soto, the officer Responsible for
Sustainability.
Some examples include the 43% reduction in the
rates of lost-time and non-lost-time accidents in 2011,
compared with the previous year; an 11% reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions, compared with 2008; recy-
cling 18% of consumed water, and energy consumption
in 2011 that was 4% lower than in 2010.
“In these last 10 years, Braskem has projected it-
self around the globe. Today, we are partnering with
Abiquim to engage in global negotiations on issues such
as climate change and chemical safety,” says Soto. “We
played a major role in the debates held during Rio+20 in
June, and I am pleased to see Braskem make progress,
alongside the chemical and petrochemical industry,
and together with Brazil, in the pursuit of more sus-
tainable paths for our planet.”
BRASKEM
Some highlights
• Industrial units: 35 (28 in Brazil, �ve in the US and two in Germany)
• Company members: 7,600
• Clients: based in more than 60 countries worldwide
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Fernando Silveira“You get the feeling of constantly growing and
learning on a daily basis,” says Fernando Silveira,
43, whose career in the Group’s Petrochemicals
area started 25 years ago. With 20 years’ experi-
ence as a plant operator, Fernando became a ca-
talysis researcher, and ran the laboratory for that
area. He is now a pilot plant manager. “That pro-
motion from operator to researcher was my wa-
tershed moment with the company. I changed my
role and work schedule, and made new friends,”
he says. “The company gives us the opportunity to
participate in all its achievements through our own
initiatives.”
Roberto MatteAt 51, Roberto Matte is the industrial manager of
the PP1 and PP2 polypropylene plants in Rio Grande
do Sul. He began working at the Triunfo Petro-
chemical Complex as a plant operator in 1981, and
since then he has focused on industrial activities
related to polypropylene plants. He says that one of
the biggest milestones for Braskem was the start-
up of the polypropylene unit in Paulínia, São Paulo,
the first PP plant the company built as a greenfield
project. “The plant was assembled by Braskem peo-
ple, which was highly significant for the company,
as well as revealing because it shows that people
make all the difference,” he observes. This recogni-
A wORD FROM ThE
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tion has a chain effect. “In the past 10 years, we’ve
seen colleagues get a chance to work on projects
in Brazil and worldwide, acquiring knowledge and
experiencing new situations in their personal lives.
These changes provide opportunities for other col-
leagues because open up new horizons.”
Edison KoltonMechanical engineer Edison Kolton, 49, is cel-
ebrating his 10th anniversary with Braskem. He
has been with the company since its inception. Af-
ter working on the Companhia Petroquímica do Sul
(Copesul) equipment inspection team, he was in-
vited to work at Braskem, in the Camaçari Complex
in Bahia, as a member of the reliability engineer-
ing team, with the mission of helping organize that
area. “The move from Rio Grande do Sul to Bahia
was a watershed in my life. Once I had overcome my
attachment to my hometown, I realized that differ-
ent cultures can make us grow as human beings,”
he says.
Two years later, Kolton started working in the in-
tegrated assets management area, which was set
up to find the synergies among Braskem’s polymer
plants throughout Brazil. “The company’s acquisi-
tions during that period significantly increased the
number of plants, and we had to intensify the stan-
dardization process and seek out best practices,”
he recalls.
protago nistsBraskem members talk about the experience of helping build a global leader
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Gustavo LaranjaGustavo Laranja, 37, is no longer known at
Braskem as just another process engineer based
in Rio Grande do Sul, but as the “drum operator,”
one of the stars of the company’s 10th-anniver-
sary advertising campaign. “It was really great to
be part of it. When the ad was showing, people I
hadn’t spoken to in a while would come over and
chat, and we’d reconnect. I also thought it was
very cool to associate my name with the image of
Braskem,” he observes. Gustavo considers the
watershed of his career at the company to be his
participation in the merger of Ipiranga’s assets.
“I was on the synergy team, which started talking
to people and exchanging information on proce-
dures and practices. That exchange of knowledge
was a first. It was a time of significant knowledge
gain,” he says.
Mauro OliveiraOriginally from Trikem, one of the six compa-
nies that merged to form Braskem, Mauro Oliveira,
30, emphasizes: “I can say that I’ve followed these
10 years closely and that working here gives me a
unique feeling that I can’t quite describe. After all, I
work at a company that’s concerned about our planet
and its members, and has a very strong culture. I ad-
mire the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO)
tremendously. It’s not just a corporate culture, it’s a
philosophy of life,” he argues. According to Mauro,
the opening of the “Green” Polyethylene plant and
the company’s international expansion were its main
achievements in the past decade. “Braskem is a gi-
gantic school where I’ve learned and am still learning
a lot,” says Mauro, who is currently an operator at the
PE3 plant in the Camaçari Complex.
Edison Terra“Working at Braskem means experiencing the con-
stant challenge of participating in the growth of one of
the largest industrial companies in Brazil. We are at
the beginning of a chain, and there are many sectors
of Brazil’s economy that depend on our capacity,” says
Edison Terra, 41, who joined the company 10 years
ago. Now Braskem’s Polyethylene Director, Edison
points out that, among many other achievements, the
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consolidation of the Brazilian petrochemicals industry
through the acquisition of Quattor, and the purchase
of Sunoco’s polypropylene assets in the United States,
Braskem’s the first industrial assets outside Brazil,
are the highlights of the company’s journey. Edison
played an active role in both achievements.
Martin ClemeshaMartin Clemesha, 35, works on the company’s
International Business team. He began his career
at Polibrasil as an intern in the product develop-
ment lab, and believes that, since then, he has
acquired the knowledge and maturity he needs to
confidently take on ever-bigger challenges in his
career. Martin joined Braskem through the Quat-
tor acquisition, and is proud to work at a company
that is focused on growing and perpetuating itself,
and knows that this can only be accomplished
through people. “During the acquisition of Quattor,
I could see, from day one, the professionalism of
Braskem’s leadership. They were able to reassure
and sensitize Quattor members about the oppor-
tunities that we would have in the future, since the
company will always need qualified people who are
motivated to continue on its successful trajectory,”
he recalls.
Mônica MazzucattoA nine-year member of Braskem, Mônica Maz-
zucatto, 36, has worked in the Production Plan-
ning, Logistics, and Packaging areas. Four years
ago, she saw her dream come true: “I wanted to
work in the Quality and Productivity area at the
PP3 PLN plant in Paulínia [São Paulo],” she says.
And it was thanks to Braskem that Mônica met her
husband, Luiz Henrique (Responsible for Industrial
Operations at the PP3 PLN plant), and started a
family. Their daughter, Maria Eduarda, was born
two years ago.
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written by José enrique Barreiro photo by JúLio BiTencourT
A ChAIN wITh
strong
Carlos Fadigas: operating strategy focused on sustainability
LINkS
21informa
t 43, Carlos Fadigas de Souza is
one of the youngest Entrepreneur-
ial Leaders (CEOs) in the Odebrecht
Group. Born in Salvador, Bahia, and
married with two children, Fadigas
holds a degree in Business Administration, and an
MBA from the Institute for Management Develop-
ment (IMD) in Switzerland. he began his career at
Citibank, as a college student. he then joined the
Odebrecht Group in 1992, and worked on several
programs at OPP Petroquímica and Trikem, chemi-
cal and petrochemical companies that were con-
solidated under Braskem. After a stint (2004-2006)
as the officer Responsible for the financial area at
Construtora Norberto Odebrecht, he shifted his focus
back to petrochemicals as Braskem’s Vice President
for Finance and was promoted to CEO of Braskem
America in 2010. On December 7 of that year, he
took the helm of the entire company. In this in-
terview with Odebrecht Informa, he discusses the
Group’s track record in petrochemicals, the cre-
ation of Braskem, the main challenges the com-
pany faces, and his projections for its future. Fadi-
gas believes that Braskem cannot grow on its own.
Its growth is achieved together with its clients and
other agents in the petrochemicals supply chain: “It
must be clear to everyone that a supply chain is only
as strong as its links.” And he points out the path to
continuous growth: “we must increasingly help our
clients to develop along with us and become more
competitive and innovative, so they can conquer new
markets with higher added value products.”
Odebrecht Informa – When and why did Odebrecht
begin investing in petrochemicals?
Carlos Fadigas – It all started in the late 1970s, with
the acquisition of a one-third stake in Companhia
Petroquímica Camaçari (CPC), a PVC producer based
in Bahia. In the early 70s, the Brazilian Government
wanted to boost the process of import substitution
and industrialization underway in Brazil, and made
the petrochemical sector a priority for public
investments, since this sector is involved in virtually
all supply chains. The Government developed a
tripartite model of corporate ownership based
on a public-sector partner (Petrobras itself), an
Ainternational partner, who owned the technology,
and a private-sector Brazilian group with the
capacity to invest in the industry. Odebrecht was
invited to become one of those domestic investors
and accepted. In addition to its commitment to the
development of Brazil and Bahia, the state that was
chosen to host the nation’s second petrochemical
complex, investing in petrochemicals fit in with the
Group’s decision to diversify its businesses, which
had previously focused on construction.
OI – Apparently, that model got off to a rocky
start.
Fadigas – There were major challenges. Typical
of a nascent industry, the main challenges ranged
from the availability of raw materials to forming
and grooming specialized teams. Furthermore,
Brazil was completely dependent on imports
of almost all petrochemical feedstocks, from
naphtha to catalysts. Businesses were small-
scale producers, manufacturing just one or a
few products, and were not vertically integrated,
so they didn’t benefit from synergies. Not to
mention that the fragmented corporate model
created conflicts of interest that suppressed the
investments needed to keep up with the country’s
growth.
OI – Did the market respond well to the creation
of the Brazilian petrochemical industry?
Fadigas – It did respond well, because the country
was growing and industrializing. But the market
was closed to international competition, and the
government controlled prices, along with the
rest of the Brazilian economy. As a result, the
petrochemical industry was even more closed
off and dependent on the state. It was losing
its investment capacity and going through a
period of a certain stagnation, which continued
after the onset of privatization during the Collor
administration in the early 90s.
OI – But Odebrecht continued to invest in the
sector, even so.
Fadigas – Yes, that’s right. Odebrecht had a long-
term vision of the industry. while international
groups preferred to sell off their equity in that
sector, Odebrecht, which had begun diversifying
its businesses in the previous decade, decided to
grow its stake in petrochemicals. we made some
acquisitions in the 80s and invested heavily in
buying equity that the Brazilian government sold
at auction in the early 90s.
OI – Throughout the 90s, after making those
acquisitions, Odebrecht began consolidating its
petrochemical assets in the run-up to the creation
of Braskem in 2002. How did that process come
about?
Fadigas – when Brazil opened its economy [by
progressively removing trade barriers] in the 90s,
competitiveness became a matter of survival,
and petrochemicals were no exception. One way
to improve the industry’s competitiveness was
through gains in scale and synergy. Odebrecht
followed this path after acquiring several
businesses and stakes in that decade, and
consolidated them under two companies: OPP,
with a focus on polyolefins, and Trikem, which
focused on vinyl. But we still lacked vertical
integration with ethylene plants [naphtha
crackers].
OI – When did that type of integration begin?
Fadigas – The opportunity arose in late 2000,
when Brazil’s Central Bank auctioned off the
assets of the bankrupt Econômico Group.
There were two attempts to sell those assets
without any buyers. On the third try, Odebrecht
tendered a bid and acquired control of Copene,
the Camaçari Complex’s ethylene plant, in July
2001. That move paved the way for the creation of
Braskem the following year, in partnership with
the Mariani Group.
OI – Could we say that this was a watershed for
Brazilian petrochemicals?
Fadigas – The creation of Braskem gave the
Brazilian petrochemical sector the “big company”
it needed to compete with the industry’s global
giants in the international market. The conditions
were in place for the emergence of an integrated
company with the right scale, vertical integration,
investments in research and development, in short,
what we call a “world-class Brazilian petrochemical
company.” Furthermore, based on our operational
principles and values, we undertook a Public
Commitment to our Clients, Members, Shareholders
and society in general, which we are fulfilling to this
day. Our corporate governance model is in line with
international best practices and based on value
creation for all stakeholders. Braskem’s growth over
the past 10 years, following the logic of strengthening
the entire supply chain for petrochemicals and
plastics in Brazil, demonstrates that this model is a
winner.
OI – What were the main challenges in these last
10 years and how were they overcome?
Fadigas – I would stress the challenge of grooming
people and forming teams, since the company has
also grown through a series of acquisitions. The
cultural diversity and wealth of experience that
our Members bring with them are major intangible
assets for our company. At the same time, we face
the challenge of permanently imbuing new people
with the culture of the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial
Technology (TEO) in all the countries where we
should come to operate, overcoming any cultural
differences. we have also invested in grooming
leaders with global vision and cultural alignment
to bolster our internationalization process.
OI – How has Braskem exercised its leadership
to qualify the domestic petrochemical supply
chain and put Brazil in a better position, given the
current global economy?
Fadigas – we’ve used our ethos of service to benefit
our clients, as well as to further our commitment
to the competitiveness of the entire petrochemicals
and plastics supply chain in Brazil. This role as
an agent of the sector is always very important,
but especially now, in the face of challenging
situations such as the one we are experiencing in
the international petrochemical industry due to the
economic crisis and the loss of competitiveness in
the domestic industry, which ultimately impacts
our clients. we have worked hard in a joint effort
22 informa
with the industry and its representative entities
to influence the Federal Government’s measures
on behalf of the domestic industry, and we’ve
achieved significant victories. we are currently
obtaining the approval of the Special Chemical
Industry Policy (Reiq), which proposes boosting
the sector through exemptions for raw materials
and investment in and incentives for innovation,
especially in the area of “green” chemicals.
OI – What sort of role has Petrobras played in
Braskem’s growth?
Fadigas – Our two major shareholders, Odebrecht
and Petrobras, share converging views. This
convergence has been built up over the years in
regard to the benefits generated by the industry’s
consolidation, which has given a major boost not
only to Braskem’s growth but also to strengthening
our entire supply chain. The acquisitions of Ipiranga
and Quattor, carried out jointly with Petrobras
and Odebrecht, were important milestones in this
process. They boosted the international expansion
of our operations and allowed us to become
leaders in thermoplastic resin production in the
Americas, and one of the top five petrochemical
companies in the world.
OI – What sort of partnership relationship does
Braskem establish with its clients?
Fadigas – Competition in the petrochemical
industry is global. Therefore, to be competitive,
the company must be big and strong, have global
scale, technological autonomy and investment
capacity, because the petrochemical industry is
capital intensive. In this context, it must be clear
to everyone that the supply chain is only as strong
as its links. That is, to continue growing our own
company, we must help our clients thrive and
become more competitive and innovative, so they
can conquer new markets with higher value added
products. we have to improve our ethos of service
and continually strengthen our partnership with
our clients, which includes supporting and driving
those clients who are willing and able to keep
pace with us as we expand our operations outside
Brazil.
OI – What has Braskem’s experience been like in
the United States and Mexico?
Fadigas – Achieving leadership in the North
American polypropylene market in the second year
of our presence in the United States is a source of
pride for Braskem. Our North American operations
have been a tremendous learning experience,
particularly when it comes to the supply of raw
materials. That’s because, unlike Brazil, there is no
vertical integration there, and we must continually
develop our relationships with propylene suppliers.
In this regard, we have also detected several
opportunities for partnerships, such as the one we
have formed with Enterprise, which will expand its
supply to Braskem in order to share in the benefits
of the US’s current shale gas boom, which has
enabled the American petrochemical industry to
regain its highly competitive position in that sector.
In Mexico, we are proceeding with the Ethylene XXI
project in partnership with Mexico’s Idesa for the
consolidated production of over one million metric
tons per year of ethylene and polyethylene with the
aim of increasing the share of gas in our mix of raw
materials.
OI – What are your expectations for 2020 as
Braskem’s Entrepreneurial Leader?
Fadigas – Braskem’s Vision for 2020 is becoming a
world leader in sustainable chemicals, innovating
to give people better service. Our business
strategy is focused on sustainability, which is
based on three pillars: increasingly sustainable
processes, which is about eco-efficiency; having
more efficient products - here I should mention
our investments in research and development for
new "green" chemical products - and offering our
clients and society more sustainable solutions.
Sustainability is at the heart of TEO, and has
always been a priority for Braskem. Long before
becoming global leaders in the production
of biopolymers with “Green” Polyethylene, our
performance indicators in health, Safety and
Environment were already comparable to the best
international benchmarks, and our commitment
to social issues has always been a hallmark of
our entrepreneurship.
23informa
24 informa
whERE IT MAkES ThE DIFFERENCE
a presence
24
10 year
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Dominican Republic
25informa
written by João marcondES
Odebrecht teams are actively involved in key projects for the nation’s growth in several sectors
three-bedroom apartment with an
area of just over 100 square meters
in Bella Vista, a leafy neighborhood
in Santo Domingo, provides accom-
modations and office space for four
Odebrecht members, including engineer Luis José
Bartolomeu. They have brought a few personal be-
longings with them, along with four computers and a
printer. The year is 2001.
A seasoned traveler, Bartolomeu has worked in
Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia and other coun-
tries. Now the challenge is to win Odebrecht’s first
contract in the Dominican Republic: a water pipeline
in the Cibao Valley, in the northwest of the country.
He is accompanied by Guilherme Di Cavalcanti, Mar-
celo Jardim and Jorge Montoya.
It takes hard work, adaptability and persistence.
But the reward comes on March 7, 2002, with the
signing of the contract for the project. The following
year, one hot Sunday in May, it is 40ºC in the shade
when friends and his wife are getting together at a
barbecue for Brazilians in the Dominican capital.
Meanwhile, Bartolomeu is “burying” (as he calls it)
the first pipeline of the Northwest Line Aqueduct
near the town of Mao.
Today, 10 years later, Bartolomeu sees Ode-
brecht’s presence in the Dominican Republic as a
two-way virtuous circle. “We help this country devel-
op, and the country does the same for the company
and its members,” he says.
The first of 11 projects Odebrecht has built in the
DR, the aqueduct has ensured the efficient supply of
water to more than one million people. According to
Bartolomeu, 48, now the Project Director for a new
contract, the Hermanas Mirabal Aqueduct, the coun-
try has given him a sure-fire opportunity for profes-
sional and personal growth, as well as access to a
new culture for him and his family (his wife and three
children). “I feel at home here,” he says.
The development of countries and companies is re-
flected in the growth of the individuals who comprise
them. Wanda Dorville Garcia, 44, is a Dominican CPA
specializing in people management who worked in the
textile industry before joining Odebrecht 10 years ago.
“I was looking for the kind of experience that I could get
from working for a large, international company,” she
explains. A decade later, that experience has changed
her in many ways. “Thanks to Odebrecht, I can say that
A
Palomino hydroelectric plant: the nation’s first public works project to be classified as a Clean Development Mechanism
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26 informa
I truly know my country,” she say, clearly moved. Born
in the city of Santo Domingo, which she had rarely left,
she has since traveled around the island from north to
south to visit projects in towns and cities like Mao, Sa-
maná, San Francisco, Dajabon and Santiago Rodríguez.
“The most amazing thing was coming into contact with
my own people in all these places I had never seen be-
fore.”
Wanda is now the officer Responsible for People
at Odebrecht Dominican Republic. She plays a direct
role in recruitment for all the company’s projects in
that country. Wanda still nurtures a dream, which
she seldom shares with anyone: “I’d like to visit Bra-
zil,” she sighs. “Salvador, Rio, Minas Gerais...”
Major projects and sustainabilityDuring the company’s 10-year presence in the DR,
Odebrecht’s teams have installed 1,031 km of water
distribution systems, three water treatment plants
and two dams (which generate a total of 312,000
MWh/year, freeing the country from importing
715,000 barrels of oil annually and reducing emis-
sions equivalent to 215,000 metric tons/year of CO2).
In addition, they have built or refurbished 150 km of
roads, and another 207 km are under construction.
About 8,000 people have worked for the company
during that period.
“We give top priority to sustainability in our opera-
tions, both in the environmental and social spheres,”
says Marco Cruz, the CEO for that country. “Not only
do we support the local communities but we do our
work productively, regardless of whether we will be
present in those towns and cities after a project is
delivered,” he explains.
The Palomino hydroelectric plant, for example, is
the Dominican Republic’s first public works project
to be ranked as a CDM (Clean Development Mecha-
nism). As a result, it will garner carbon credits for
the country, all of which will go to social projects. In
addition to setting up “green” worker accommoda-
tions powered with solar energy (the panels will be
donated to the local communities after each project
is delivered), Odebrecht prioritizes water recycling
on projects like the construction of the Miches High-
way. According to Marco Cruz, these initiatives are
part of a standard that will be implemented on all the
company’s projects in the DR.
“Aplatanado”Representing 22% of the country’s Gross Domes-
tic Product (GDP), tourism is the main economic
activity for an island nation with beautiful beaches
and crystal clear waters. That sector is getting a
major boost from hundreds of kilometers of road-
ways constructed (or under construction) through
highway and freeway projects like Casabito, Coral
and Miches. “We have always wanted to shorten the
distance between Punta Cana and Santo Domingo,
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Luis José Bartolomeu: “I feel at home here”
our cultural capital. This was only possible thanks to
the Coral Highway, which is a 70-km masterpiece of
engineering,” extols Minister of Tourism Francisco
Javier García.
Cláudio Medeiros, Odebrecht’s Administrative and
Financial Officer in the Dominican Republic, says he
feels “aplatanado” in that country. It means “rooted,”
and refers to one of the main local crops, plantains.
He, too, has spent 10 years there. He got married in
the Dominican Republic and has two children, Ma-
teus, 9, and Manuela, 7.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Some Highlights
• Two hydroelectric plants built (generating a total of 312,000 MWh / year)
• 1,031 km of water distribution systems
• 150 km of roads built or refurbished
“Dominicans are very affectionate, cheerful and skill-
ful, just like Bahians,” jokes Cláudio, who hails from
Bahia himself. “They thrive in the atmosphere of the
Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO), Education
through Work and the ethos of service,” he adds. In the
last 10 years, more than 200 people have taken part in the
Young Partner Program. Today, Dominican graduates of
that initiative are working for Odebrecht in countries like
Ecuador, the United States, Angola and Panama.
In one decade, Odebrecht has built essential works
in the nation’s capital - including the Duarte Corridor,
a complex of overpasses and underpasses that will
improve mobility for 800,000 vehicles in a city choked
with traffic - and other parts of the country, such as the
Pinalito and Palomino hydroelectric plants, which have
increased the country’s supply of clean energy and re-
duced its dependence on fossil fuels and oil products,
which still represent 85% of its power generation mix.
What lies ahead? “There are plenty of opportunities here
because this country is growing nonstop. There is a need
for port and water and sewage treatment facilities. We
have established an excellent partnership, making the
Dominican Republic a nation-client. We have also fallen
in love with the Dominican people, and we hope the feel-
ing is mutual. We believe we have a bright future ahead,”
says Cláudio Medeiros.
27informa
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Coral Highway
28 informa
People who have found their pathEight Angolan members marking 25 years of work at Odebrecht discuss their learning experiences and expectations
hen she heard that she was
going to be interviewed by
Odebrecht Informa, Filo-
mena Belo, 54, was happy to travel
about 200 km from the Cambambe
project, where she works in Kwanza
Norte Province, to the Odebrecht
construction site in Luanda. Smiling,
the Angolan woman says: “I do not
expect to be served, I have learned to
give service to others first.” She did
not learn that lesson by chance. In
2012, she and seven other Odebrecht
Angola members are marking 25
years of service to the company and
their country. They all started out on
the Capanda hydroelectric plant con-
struction project in Malanje province,
the first contract Odebrecht signed in
Angola, in 1984. “I am proud to say I
built Capanda,” says Filomena, who
worked on the project until 2008.
Carlos Paciência, 46, João Car-
doso, 50, and Alcino Teixeira, 56, are
currently working on two projects
at the same time: Águas de Lu-
anda (water supply) and the Special
Economic Zone. Carlos joined the
company as an apprentice painter.
Keeping an eye out for opportuni-
ties, he took advantage of initiatives
like Education for Work, and grew
within the company. From painting
he went on to the Quality Program
and then to Administrative Support.
In the early 1990s, the work was sus-
pended due to armed conflicts, and
he was transferred to the Luanda Sul
project, where he stayed until 2004.
Today, he is an administrative tech-
nician. “What attracts me most at
Odebrecht is the company’s interest
in people,” he says.
Like Carlos, João Cardoso has
wasted no time. He began his ca-
reer as an assistant on the produc-
tion fronts, but was soon promoted
to operations manager and later on
became a team supervisor. Today he
is on the People area’s team. “The
biggest lesson I’ve learned is doing
the right things. I teach my children
that every day,” he says. The elec-
trician and team supervisor Alcino
Teixeira worked on the Capanda
project until 2002, when he was
transferred to Luanda. “In the last
25 years, I have learned that educa-
tion, work and respect are the basis
of life,” he observes.
Antônia da Costa, 47, and Ros-
inho Eduardo, 54, are now working
on the Structuring Routes project.
Antônia joined the company as a
written by EdilSon lima photo by kamEnE traça
28 informa
Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology
From left, Carlos Paciência, Alcino Teixeira, Maria Bernardo, Rosinho Eduardo, Antonia da Costa, Antonio Carvalho, Filomena Belo and João Cardoso: careers marked by the motivation to grow and give service to others
W
29informa
communications technician at the
Capanda jobsite. The first time the
project came to a halt, she was
transferred to the administrative
support area in Vila do Gamek,
Luanda, where expatriates and
their families lived. Then she went
on to work on the Luanda Sul and
Luanda Roadways projects before
taking on her current assignment.
“My greatest source of pride in all
these years has been my relation-
ship with my leaders. I have learned
a lot from them and am still learn-
ing,” she says. During his interview,
Rosinho Eduardo, a driver supervi-
sor (or “godfather,” as he calls it)
showed the reporter his diploma
for a course the company offered,
which enabled him to reach the po-
sition he holds today: “Odebrecht is
a school. If people don’t grow here,
it’s because they don’t want to.”
For Antônio Carvalho, 54, and
Maria Bernardo, 55, Vila do Gamek
is a special place. Antônio is a driv-
er, and joined the company in 1987.
One of his first jobs was transport-
ing furnishings for the community. “I
assembled every piece of furniture,”
he recalls cheerfully. Vila do Gamek
was where Maria Bernardo began
her career at Odebrecht as well. She
was responsible for home mainte-
nance while the members who lived
there were working in Capanda. “I
kept everything spic and span so
they could enjoy their weekends at
home,” she recalls. Her dedication
got her the job she holds today: tak-
ing care of the company’s transit
house in Luanda, where directors
receive special visitors. “It’s a big-
ger responsibility, but I do everything
with love.”
Carlos José: “Toda obra tem começo, meio e fim, mas esta aqui é permanente”
30 informa28
OFFICE AND school
Viveiro de mudas no canteiro de Santo Antonio: 124 espécies nativas
enato Martins was a young engineer, fresh out of college, in 1961 when
he joined the team that would found the Recife branch of Construtora
Norberto Odebrecht (CNO) – the company’s first base outside the state
of Bahia – the following year. It was not an easy task, and its success
would be decisive - after all, it was a test case for Odebrecht’s planned
expansion in the next few decades.
Founded in 1944, the company was 18 years old. Renato was just a few years older: 26.
But four years after joining the construction firm as a trainee, he had already taken on sev-
eral different roles, so he met the requirements for the challenges ahead.
Renato also had the most important attribute for the professionals entrusted
with that mission: mastery of and alignment with the company’s philosophy and
culture. More than just winning new business in the Northeast, Odebrecht wanted
to put down permanent roots in Recife. “The team sent from Salvador was small,
consisting of just a few strategic people who were prepared to recruit and groom
new team members, while maintaining the profile of an inclusive, educational
R
30
The Pernambuco Arena, under construction, and the Carvalhos Bridge, the branch’s first project: the Recife Office played a decisive role in Odebrecht’s national expansion
50 year
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Recife Office20 an
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México45 an
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Escritório de Recife
Lia L
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Recife Office
The Recife Branch has become renowned as a hub for grooming the Group’s leaderswritten by ricardo Sangiovanni
31informa 31
result, there was huge demand for infrastructure - roads,
ports and urban facilities.
For CNO, by then firmly established in Bahia, growth was
essential. The largest market in the country at that time was
Brasília, the nation’s new capital. However, the company
chose a different path. Closer geographically and familiar
terrain, the vibrant Northeast was the best alternative.
Working from its Recife Office, CNO would provide ser-
vices throughout the region, except for the states of Sergipe
and Bahia. The branch’s first director was the Swiss ar-
chitect Heinz Spilgberg, and its first project, the Carvalhos
Bridge on federal highway BR-101, built in 1962.
There were more bridge projects, as well as roadworks
and a number of industrial plants. “Willys Overland, Tintas
Coral, Rhodia Nordeste, Alba Nordeste, Formiplac, Coper-
bo, Alcoa... There were lots of projects in several states,” re-
calls Renato Martins, the leader for most of those contracts.
Thanks to its thorough understanding of the region’s
geography, climate and politics, Odebrecht offered the
best construction solutions and delivered projects faster
company that respects the local environment,” says
Renato Martins, now 76.
In Recife, the company rediscovered earlier roots: the
state capital of Pernambuco was the city where the com-
pany’s founder, Norberto Odebrecht, was born and lived
until age 9, before his family moved to Salvador, Bahia.
Norberto’s hometown was also the city where his father,
Emílio Odebrecht, had worked as a contractor in the 1920s,
leaving behind strong relationships and important works,
like the Buarque de Macedo Bridge and Derby Barracks,
which have become landmarks in Recife.
Construction siteThe city was a hub for new business. It was experienc-
ing an urban boom: in 20 years, its population had dou-
bled, reaching 800,000 in 1960. And that growth received
a boost through the creation of Sudene (the Agency for
the Development of the Northeast, based in Recife), cre-
ated by President Juscelino Kubitschek’s administration
in 1959 to accelerate industrialization in that region. As a
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32 informa
than the competition. The demand from industry was so
great that the company created an exclusive engineering
design department. “We ran the risk of breaking a crystal
vase: a possible inefficiency in one project would mar our
effectiveness in the others. The goal was to always leave
the client satisfied,” says Renato.
From one Martins to anotherIn 1963, Renato took on another Martins as a trainee:
Murillo, a young engineer from Pernambuco. There are not
related, but, like Renato, Murillo would make history at the
company. Shortly after joining the company, in 1964 Murillo
received an invitation from Norberto Odebrecht to work in
Salvador. “I was able to imbibe knowledge straight from the
source. Mr. Norberto Odebrecht knew how to point out inef-
ficiencies in a very subtle and humane way,” says Murillo, 72.
Soon Murillo would be sent to the Pedras Dam jobsite
in Rio de Contas (565 km from Salvador), one of the larg-
est projects underway at that time. In addition to being an
intense professional learning experience, the year he spent
in the Bahia countryside was a survival course. “It was a
very rugged place; everything there was rough going. I lived
in a small wooden house. It wasn’t unusual to go two days
without a shower because the river water was used to wash
livestock, and raw sewage was dumped in the waterway....
Things were different back then.”
In 1967, Renato left Pernambuco and returned to Bahia,
ready to use the know-how he had acquired in Recife to drive
CNO’s expansion in other states and countries. That same
year, a seasoned Murillo would follow the opposite path.
Back in Recife, now under the supervision of engineer
Adelmar Xavier (then the director, and now deceased),
Murillo would take on his first projects: constructing the
City Hall, the administrative building for the Federal Uni-
versity at Pernambuco (UFPE), the Convention Center and
the Sudene Building. “There was plenty of competition. We
succeeded through technology, and the best solutions,” re-
calls the engineer, who took charge of the office in 1976 and
stayed there until he left the company in 1999.
Murillo Martins: “I was able to imbibe knowledge straight from the source”
Lia L
ub
am
bo
People engineer, educational leaderUnder Murillo’s leadership, CNO entered the 1980s
fully energized, tackling major challenges like the con-
struction of the Recife Metro and the Port of Suape. That
was when the engineer proved to be an accomplished ed-
ucator, specialized in grooming professionals. “He would
call the university to ask them to recommend its students.
He created simple tests with a few questions about meth-
ods and procedures. Right away, you already got a feeling
for the guy’s personality, you know?”
Through this simple method, Murillo recruited a gen-
eration of talent that would become leaders at Odebrecht.
Some examples include Henrique Valladares (now CEO of
Odebrecht Energia), Euzenando Azevedo (CEO of Odebrecht
Venezuela) and Luiz Augusto Teive (CEO of ODT - Odebrecht
Defense and Technology). But the list is much longer.
“Murillo Martins had a lasting influence on me through
his reliability, confidence and dedication to educating peo-
ple,” says Paulo Lacerda, now Vice President of Opera-
tions at Odebrecht. Paulo was one of Murillo’s “pupils,”
and led the Recife Metro project. It was delivered in three
years, a record to this today.
One of Murillo’s trainees in 1977 was João Pacífico –
his future successor. “Right when I joined the company,
my immediate leader got sick and I started working di-
rectly with Murillo on the Convention Center project. I
jumped right in the deep end, says Pacífico, who has been
the company’s CEO in Recife since 2000 and is now re-
sponsible for the Northeast, North and Midwest of Brazil.
Odebrecht has taken part in major projects under
Pacífico’s leadership, such as the Transnordestina Rail-
road, which will link the Port of Pecém in Ceará with
the Port of Suape in Pernambuco; Recife Airport, new
stages of the Suape industrial complex in Ipojuca county,
and, more recently, the Pernambuco Arena, in the Re-
cife metropolitan region, and the Reserva do Paiva Resi-
dential Complex in Cabo de Santo Agostinho. “In Recife
we are in the sky, on the ground and in the sea,” says
Pacífico with a smile. Although the Suape and Transnor-
destina projects, among others, are being carried out in
the interior of the state, they are coordinated from the
Recife Office.
The office maintains partnerships with universities,
and still grooms team members for the Group. A recent
standout is engineer Ana Carolina Farias, 35. She was a
trainee before going on to work on major projects like the
airport and the Transnordestina Railroad, and became
Odebrecht’s first female Project Director: she will lead the
construction of the Itaipava brewery. “I do what I like to do,
and it’s wonderful to achieve success by doing my job well.
I devote my life to it,” says Ana Carolina.
This is a sign that the mission undertaken in 1962 has
been very well accomplished. The next chapters of that
story are up to Ana Carolina’s trainees. And their train-
ees. And then their trainees’ trainees... An example of
continuity.
33informa 33
Renato Martins, one of the pioneers in Recife: leading several Odebrecht projects
The Derby Barracks in Recife, restored in 1924 by Emílio Odebrecht & Cia., the company that gave rise to Construtora Norberto Odebrecht
od
ebr
ech
t a
rc
hiv
e
Lia L
ub
am
bo
34 informa
OF DEVELOPMENTpillars
written by luiz carloS ramoS photos by andréS mannEr
34
Local members, the vast majority at
Odebrecht Venezuela, contribute to the
country’s unity and growth
20 year
s
Venezuela
35informa
here are more than 20,000 Venezuelans in the
company’s workforce, including almost 8,000
members directly on its payroll. While partici-
pating in major projects that contribute to the
nation’s unification and growth, they are making
a crucial contribution to ensuring that many of their fellow
countrymen enjoy ever-better living conditions. As it marks
its 20th year of operations, Odebrecht Venezuela enjoys pub-
lic recognition, and its teams primarily view that recognition
as an incentive to produce more and do it even better.
“We are proud of our contribution to the nation’s progress
throughout the last 20 years,” says Euzenando Azevedo, CEO
of Odebrecht Venezuela, who has led that company’s opera-
tions since 1994. “This is made possible by the projects we
build, as well as the implementation of sustainability pro-
grams in the communities in which we operate, the growing
number of Venezuelans on our teams, and technology trans-
fer,” he adds.
An Odebrecht Venezuela member since 2000, José Cláudio
Daltro, the officer Responsible for Administration, Finance
and People, argues: “In these past two decades, we have be-
come part of the Venezuelan family. From the start, we set
out to participate in community life, creating opportunities
for young Venezuelan professionals and seeking dialogue
with the business community and academia. We have delved
deeply into the reality of this country to get to know it and
make it our workplace and our home.”
From a mall to bridges on the Orinoco From 1992 to 2012, Venezuela’s population has jumped
from 20 million to nearly 30 million. The pursuit of solutions
for transportation infrastructure and power supply is one of
the country’s current imperatives. Odebrecht is playing a key
role in these areas. However, the company was nowhere near
this “front” when it arrived in the country. In 1992, Odebrecht
signed the contract for its first project there: the construction
of the Centro Lago Mall in Maracaibo, Venezuela’s second-
largest city. Six years of patience and persistence followed
that initial achievement, until the company won its first con-
tract in Caracas in 1998, for the construction of Metro Line
4. Two years later, it broke ground on an iconic project (for
Odebrecht and Venezuela): the second bridge across the Ori-
noco River, the 3,156-m Orinoquia Bridge, opened in 2006,
which firmly established Odebrecht’s nationwide presence in
Venezuela.
Today, the company is building another bridge, the third
span across the same river, as well as the Tocoma Dam on
T
35informa 35
Building the Third Orinoco River Bridge: this new span will help unify the country geographically
the Caroní River. It is also continuing its strong per-
formance on the Caracas and Los Teques subway
systems, with a total 65 km of light-rail lines under
construction. Its current prospects include partici-
pation in projects in the infrastructure, industrial,
oil & gas, petrochemical, food security and hous-
ing sectors. Odebrecht Venezuela is actively seek-
ing new forms of contribution and renewing itself
through the nation’s youth.
Venezuelan engineer Kaira Visaez is an example
of the new generation of company members. She
was 8 years old when Odebrecht arrived in her
homeland. “I grew up hearing about Odebrecht.
Then I went to college and joined the company in
2007.” Now 28, she is working on the Tocoma proj-
ect. Kaira is the daughter of two engineers, Johnny
Gamboa, the officer Responsible for the Tocoma
Technical Engineering Facility, and Dorje Longart,
who has also worked for the company. “I learned to
admire this style of work and life when I was grow-
ing up.” The 2,280-MW Tocoma Dam is the fourth
and last of the hydroelectric plants built on the
Caroní River. All told, they will add 17,700 MW to the
nation’s power supply.
A little over 500 kilometers from Tocoma, Ode-
brecht is building the third Orinoco River bridge,
between the cities of Cabruta, in Guarico State, and
Caicara, in Bolívar State. Begun six years ago, the
project is scheduled for completion by 2017. It in-
cludes a 30-km road system, which will provide ac-
cess to both cities and links to other highways. The
11,125-m bridge will be the second-longest span
in Latin America, the longest being the Rio-Niterói
Bridge (13,290 m). Engineer Christian Saghy, the
first Venezuelan Production Manager on an Ode-
brecht project in that country, explains: “The link
the bridge provides will make it possible to develop
mineral resources and facilitate the settlement of
the southern part of the country.”
Caracas and Los Teques MetrosWith a population of about 7 million, the Caracas
metropolitan region is among the 10 most populous
areas in Latin America. Its residents face huge traf-
fic jams, and the subway is a saving grace. Caracas
has two metro systems, which are now united: one
in the Federal Capital itself and another in Los Te-
ques, the state capital of Miranda, almost 40 km
away.
Odebrecht Venezuela began working on these
light-rail systems in 1998, and in the next few years
36 informa
Kaira Visaez: TEO at home
Renato Gerab: responsibility for the entire system
37informa
it will have been responsible for building a total of
over 119 km of metro lines. In Caracas, the compa-
ny is responsible for Line 5, and has also built Lines
3 and 4. It installed the Mariche and San Agustín
Metrocable cable-car systems and the Cabletren
(cable-train), is getting the Caracas-Guarenas-
Guatire System ready for operations, and was re-
sponsible for building Line 1 of Los Teques, which
guaranteed the connection with Caracas in 2006.
Odebrecht is also completing Line 2 of Los Teques,
and will soon begin construction of Line 3.
Engineer Ricardo Gomez, who joined Odebrecht
nine years ago, is Responsible for Teams on Line
5 of the Caracas Metro, which is being built with
shield TBMs (tunnel boring machines). “We are ex-
cavating tunnels under a busy area of the capital,
and even so, the work does not affect local resi-
dents or disrupt traffic in any way,” he observes.
Line 2 of the Los Teques Metro is in a similar
situation, according to mechanical engineer José
Avelino Goncalves de Oliveira, the Venezuelan son
of Portuguese immigrants. He joined Odebrecht
through the Young Partner Program in 2006. “This
12-km line runs through the center of town, includ-
ing six stations and underground sections. Work-
ing on this project has been a thrilling experience.”
Commercial Manager Renato Gerab, a Brazilian
from São Paulo with seven years’ experience at
Odebrecht, observes: “In addition to the civil en-
gineering works, we are responsible for the entire
Ricardo Gomez: challenging experience
system, which includes the installation of perma-
nent tracks, and the operations control, electrifica-
tion and ticketing systems.”
Food productionOdebrecht Venezuela also develops agrarian
projects for the Government with a focus on food
production. The first initiative, which involves sev-
eral stages that were initially completed in 2006,
was the El Diluvio-Palmar Irrigation Project, in the
Maracaibo region. At first it was intended to irrigate
a specific area, but the program was later expand-
ed to become a full-fledged development plan fo-
cused on rural areas, food security and the orderly
settlement of the Colombian border. Renamed the
Maracaibo Plain Integral Socialist Agrarian Project,
its infrastructure is based on a network including
a main 48-km pipeline and secondary and tertiary
channels. The project’s expansion led to the con-
struction of houses and modern facilities for the
development of farming and livestock husbandry.
The José Inácio de Abreu Lima Integral Agrar-
ian Socialist Project, now underway in the state of
Anzoategui, consists of an agro-industrial complex
that will produce soy products. It is made up of five
modules: a drying plant and storage facility, a meat
and soy milk plant, an agribusiness unit, a central
mechanization unit, and an educational center.
Through a binational cooperative agreement, Bra-
zilian technicians are exchanging information with
Venezuelan professionals so the program will al-
ways receive the technical assistance it needs to
increase production on an annual basis.
Odebrecht’s 20 years of achievement in Venezu-
ela have received important recognition from the
community, government, academia and trade as-
sociations during that entire period. Examples in-
clude Builder of the Year awards from the State of
Zulia for the company’s construction of the Centro
Lago Mall (1998), and from the Venezuelan Cham-
ber of Construction for the Orinoquia Bridge (2007),
an honor repeated in 2011 for the construction of
the San Agustín Metrocable system. “For us, these
awards symbolize the nation’s acceptance and con-
firmation of Odebrecht as a Venezuelan company,
built by Venezuela for Venezuelans,” says Euzenan-
do Azevedo.
38 informa
Christian Saghy: young leader at Odebrecht Venezuela
VENEZUELA
Some highlights
• Members: 7,500 (only 163 non-Venezuelans)
• 5 metro lines running and under construction: 3 in Caracas and 2 in Los Teques)
• 2 bridges: the Orinoquia Bridge, the Second Orinoco River Bridge, completed in 2006, and the Third Orinoco River Bridge (under construction)
• 1 hydroelectric plant under construction: Tocoma, with installed capacity of 2,280 MW
39informa
By investing in people and
technology, ETH is making a strategic
contribution to improving the sugar-ethanol
sector in Brazil
NEw AND BETTER days
written by ElEa almEida photos by GuilhErmE afonSo
helped plant the grass outside the main office. This
building wasn’t even here when ETH first arrived,”
says Sérgio Ostete, the agricultural irrigation supervi-
sor at ETH Bioenergy’s Alcídia Unit, which is part of
the company’s São Paulo Hub. An ETH member since
the unit was acquired in 2007, the company’s first acquisition,
Sérgio is one of the people who has closely followed the com-
pany’s growth and developed along with it. He started out as a
tractor driver and is now a leader.
The Odebrecht Group began its operations in the etha-
nol, electricity from biomass and sugar industry in July 2007,
spearheaded by ETH. It was confident in the business’s growth
potential and Brazil’s competitive advantages. “ETH is a prime
example of the Odebrecht Group’s capacity for bold entrepre-
neurship. We entered a new sector in which we had no tradition
or expertise, and entrepreneured a fantastic project,” said En-
trepreneurial Leader (CEO) Luiz de Mendonça.
I
39 ETH work front: modernizing work in the canefields
55 year
s
ETH
“
40 informa
Just five years later, the company operates nine
units distributed in five hubs in the states of São Pau-
lo, Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. It ac-
quired Eldorado, the second unit in the Mato Grosso
do Sul Hub, in 2008, and utilities leader Leandro Mota
has worked there ever since. He says that ETH’s ar-
rival has changed things, starting with safety rules,
prioritizing the lives of company members, and devel-
opment opportunities. “I’ve learned to listen and put
myself in the other person’s place. Leadership isn’t
easy: you have to engage in dialogue, and empower
and motivate people.” In 2009, the company opened
three more units: Rio Claro (Goiás Hub), Santa Luzia
(Mato Grosso do Sul Hub) and Conquista do Pontal
(São Paulo Hub).
At the Araguaia Hub, in the Morro Vermelho and
Água Emendada units, which respectively opened
in 2010 and 2011, work front leader Ana Paula Ber-
nardes focuses on helping empower the company’s
members. When she joined ETH, she knew little about
farm production, but now she uses her own story to
motivate other members, especially women. “Some-
times it’s harder for women to see that they can grow
and develop. They want to, but don’t know how to han-
dle it,” she says.
At the Costa Rica Unit, which opened in 2011,
farm machine operator Milda Nunes is one of the few
women working in that area, but that does not faze
her in the least. Since she was 10, when she lost her
mother and dropped out of school to take care of her
brothers and sisters, she has never stopped working.
She doesn’t know how. Although she has little formal
schooling, she is keeping pace with the technologi-
cal changes introduced by ETH. Milda is a member
of the unit that is part of the Taquari Hub, which also
includes the Alto Taquari Unit.
The challenge of grooming peopleThe number of ETH members has grown from
about a thousand to over 15,000 today. In 2009, the
company’s commitment to developing people led to
a partnership with the National Industrial Education
Service (SENAI) in the counties where ETH operates.
Givanildo Rufiro, the mechanized planting supervisor
at the Rio Claro Unit in the Goiás Hub, was initially
surprised by the company’s focus on people. “I used to
work at plants that only thought about production, not
people,” says Givanildo, who joined ETH when the Rio
Claro Unit was still on the drawing board.
For Luiz de Mendonça, the biggest challenge is
grooming and acculturating people. “All our members
are the owners of their own business, entrepreneurs
and agents of their personal growth and develop-
ment,” he says.
In 2010, ETH accelerated its growth plan, and today
it is seeking to establish itself as the world’s largest
producer of ethanol and electricity from sugarcane
bagasse. Following the opening that same year of the
Morro Vermelho and Alto Taquari units, the company
produced roughly 944 million liters of ethanol during
Sérgio Ostete: with ETH since 2007
41informa
the 2011-2012 harvest, from 12 million metric tons of
sugarcane milled. The forecast for the next harvest,
which ends in 2013, is 1,434 million liters of ethanol.
“By 2015, our company will be able to mill 40 million
metric tons of cane, produce 3 billion gallons of etha-
nol and co-generate 2,700 gigawatt/hours of electricity,
which will ensure a supply of clean and renewable en-
ergy for 4.5 million people,” Luiz de Mendonça explains.
The company’s social outreach efforts are also
making progress through initiatives like the Social
Energy Program for Local Sustainability. Introduced in
2010 in just one county, it now serves nine towns and
cities through 20 different programs.
“ETH will continue to grow at the pace that Brazil
requires to increase its production of clean and re-
newable energy. In 2012, we also began studying the
expansion plans for the existing units and programs
for internationalizing the production of ethanol, sug-
ar and electricity in Africa and other Latin American
countries.
“The results we have achieved so far, and the
speed with which we have become one of the largest
bioenergy companies in the country, reflect the entre-
preneurship of each and every ETH member. They are
increasingly engaged and committed to our mutual
success,” says the Entrepreneurial Leader.
Leandro Mota: “You have to engage in dialogue, and empower and motivate people”
42 informa
IN CONSTRUCTIONleaders
4225 ye
ars
Argentina
43informa
IN CONSTRUCTION written by cláudio lovato filho photos by Bruna romaro
A new generation of members is cementing Odebrecht’s leading position in Argentina
Esteban Trouet, second from the left, with members of his direct team (Adrian Eckert, Javier Maurizzi and Sergio Sapienza, from left): the new face of Odebrecht Argentina
44 informa
steban Trouet was a 12-year-old boy in his
native Córdoba at the time. Back in 1987,
the year Mercosur was officially created, a
few pioneers were setting up Odebrecht’s
office in Buenos Aires. They went there
with the expectation of enabling the company to par-
ticipate in the construction of Pichi Picún Leufú, a large
hydroelectric dam in Patagonia. Its name is so compli-
cated that many prefer to call it by its initials: PPL. Ode-
brecht won the contract, and its teams broke ground at
the construction site in 1989. Esteban Trouet graduated
in civil engineering and left Córdoba. Today, aged 37,
he is the Director of the CCR project, which Odebrecht
Argentina is building in the city of La Plata.
What do 25 years mean? For Odebrecht Argentina,
they mean a lot. Everything, in fact. At the same time,
this is only the beginning of a story that is still going
on today, with the hallmark of productivity. For three
straight years, the company has been the highest-
earning contractor in Argentina. In 2012, it was voted
the contractor with the best image and reputation in
the country, according to the Merco (Corporate Repu-
tation Monitor) ranking published by the newspaper
El Clarin, and one of the 40 best companies to work
for, according to Apertura, a magazine specializing in
economics and business. The company is currently
responsible for six major contracts, including the
capacity expansion project for firm transportation of
natural gas, which covers 15 provinces; construction
of the Continuous Catalytic Reformer (CCR) Plant in
La Plata, and deployment of the North Area water
treatment system in the northern metropolitan area
of Buenos Aires.
“There are plenty of opportunities in Argentina,” says
Flávio Faria, Odebrecht’s CEO in that country since Feb-
ruary 2008. He arrived there in 2004 to become the Proj-
ect Director for the expansion of the Libertador General
San Martín and Neuba II gas pipelines. “Both in the area
of infrastructure and industrial projects, there are nu-
merous demands that the country wants and needs to
meet. And there is an awareness that Brazil and Argen-
tina will not go far without each other.”
“Odebrecht was my goal”It is a 60-km drive from downtown Buenos Aires,
where Flávio Faria’s office at Odebrecht’s headquar-
ters is located, to the office of Esteban Trouet at the
CCR Project construction site, in YPF’s Industrial
Complex in Ensenada, greater La Plata. The magni-
tude of the project Esteban leads is inversely propor-
tional to the amount of working room he and his team
have at their disposal.
The petrochemical naphtha treatment unit, which
will increase Argentina’s production of Super and
Premium fuels (better-quality products that are less
harmful to the environment), is being installed in a
very small area, while the entire YPF complex is in full
operation. There is no free space to the sides, front
or back. Cranes must be operated with extreme care.
The original structure, most of which has been run-
ning for over 30 years, surrounds the new unit, which
began construction in 2009 and will be delivered to the
client by February 2013. The contract also includes a
new 118-m flare and the revamp of existing facilities.
More than 1,300 people are working on the project,
which is at its peak.
“This is the largest petrochemical project un-
dertaken in Argentina in the last decade,” says Es-
teban. He arrived in La Plata in September 2010,
fresh from the gas pipeline project where he was
responsible for Compressor Plant Management. On
the CCR Project, he started out as the Production
Manager and provided support for Contract Admin-
istration, among other tasks. Then, in August 2012,
he took on the challenge of becoming Odebrecht’s
second Argentine Project Director. The first was
Pablo Brottier, who is now on the team reporting
directly to Flávio Faria.
Esteban was in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, working for
another organization, when he met Flávio Faria in De-
cember 2006. A month later, he had rejoined his family
in his native land. “I wanted to work at Odebrecht. That
was my goal,” says Esteban. “At Odebrecht, I’ve found
an environment of trust that is empowering and sup-
portive. Each in their own way, my leaders have intro-
duced me to the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technol-
ogy (TEO). I wanted a change and tried to keep an open
mind so it could happen.”
Every morning on the CCR project brings fresh
challenges. “Our team is mostly made up of young
people, so we are looking to bring in experienced
members,” says Esteban, the first Argentine com-
pany member to join the Program for Developing En-
trepreneurs (PDE). The high percentage of younger
E
members on Esteban’s team is a familiar situation
on Odebrecht’s projects in Argentina. “Today, 91% of
our 2,366 direct members have been with the com-
pany for less than two years,” says Diego Pugliesso,
the officer Responsible for People, Organization, Ad-
ministration and Finance at Odebrecht Argentina,
and one of the company’s longest-serving members
in that country.
The presence of Tácito Antônio Soares at the CCR
construction site is a testament to the practice of
blending youth with experience. On the verge of com-
pleting 30 years of work in the organization, Tácito is
the general supervisor for electromechanical assem-
bly. A Brazilian from Blumenau, Santa Catarina, he
has worked in Chile and Venezuela, and helped build
several projects in his home country. He arrived in Ar-
gentina in January 2012, and is a valued advisor dur-
ing the day-to-day operations at the construction site.
“I make suggestions and give advice. It has been a very
good experience. I feel welcome here.”
Environment of trustAllan Abrantes also got a warm welcome when he
arrived in Argentina in 2011, coming from Peru. He is
the Project Director for the North Area Water Treat-
ment System, under construction in the region of Ti-
gre, a city in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. An
initiative of the Argentine Water and Sanitation Com-
pany (AySA), the project is designed to ensure the
supply of clean drinking water to more than 2.5 mil-
lion people living in the northern area of Greater Bue-
nos Aires. Collected from the Paraná de las Palmas
River, it will be conveyed through a 14-km tunnel to
a complex of purifiers that covers a 16-hectare area.
A 40-km network of pipelines takes the water to the
communities benefiting from this initiative. Begun in
2008, the first of the project’s three phases should be
completed by December 2012.
Led by Odebrecht, the joint venture building the
project also includes Benito Roggio e Hijos, Su-
permercado SAIC and José Cartellone Construccio-
nes Civiles. The water supply system is the result of
one of the biggest infrastructure investments made in
Argentina in the last 50 years. “Community relations
is one of the most complex aspects of our work,” says
Allan, a Brazilian from the state of Paraíba. “People
see the works coming closer to their homes, but
there’s no water. Not yet, at least, because the system
hasn’t been completed. We have to know how to deal
with their expectations, paying attention and providing
information.”
Allan has eight Young Partners on his team. “This
is a school, and bringing in local youths is essential to
establishing the company’s legitimacy in this country,”
he argues. A 23-year member of the Group, Allan is
enjoying what he feels is a particularly positive phase
of his career. “We are working in an environment of
reciprocity and trust that makes it easier to bolster
Odebrecht’s image in this country.”
This is an image that the first Odebrecht mem-
bers to arrive in Buenos Aires began cultivating
with tremendous care and competence 25 years
45informa
Odebrecht Member working on the CCR Project: the nation’s biggest investment in the petrochemical sector in the last decade
ago. Pioneers like Francisco Valladares, who died in
2004. The officer Responsible for the company when
the job title was DPA (Country Director), he was re-
cently honored by Odebrecht Argentina members.
They gave his name to the library installed at the
company’s headquarters this year. This tribute was
suggested by João Sérgio Torres, a former mem-
ber of the CBPO and Bento Pedroso Construções
(BPC) who joined Odebrecht Argentina’s bid develop-
ment team three years ago. He had the immediate
support of Roberto Rodriguez, the Project Director
in charge of Business Development and one of the
oldest members of Odebrecht Argentina. Roberto
joined the company in 1993 and worked with Fran-
cisco Valladares. When they heard Francisco’s story
and understood the importance of his leadership, the
younger members had no doubt about whose name
to choose. The library is the responsibility of Ofelia
Mesa, 66, a company member since August 2002.
She says she is proud to take care of a place that may
be new, but already has such a long history.
46 informa
Ofelia Mesa, Roberto Rodríguez and João Sérgio Torres at the library: tribute to a leader who made history
Allan Abrantes (third from left) with Young Partners at the jobsite: legitimizing the company in Argentina
ARGENTINA
Some highlights
• Ongoing projects: 6
• Members: 2,366 (direct)
• The Engineering and Expansion of Firm Gas Transportation project involves the company’s operations in 15 of the country’s 23 provinces
• For three consecutive years, the company has reported the highest earnings in Argentina’s engineering and construction industry
47informa
ka
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Building stronger ties
he officer Responsible for Production on the Moatize
Coal Mine Expansion Project in Tete, Mozambique,
São Paulo engineer André Canoas has been with Ode-
brecht for five years. He says his most memorable expe-
rience of working there involves dealing with wildlife. For
example, he has had to adapt his routine to the habits
of hippos. André lives at the construction site with his
wife, Tanja Guimarães, a lawyer who is working on the
Contract Administration Program. They have an unusu-
al marriage. He was in Salvador, taking a PDE course,
when he proposed to Tanja online. They were wed by
proxy. “Living on a jobsite strengthens our relationship.
My wife and I have several ‘kids, siblings and parents’
here in Tete. We are like a cell of the Odebrecht family.
We’re growing to overcome the challenging goals of our
Vision for 2020,” he says.
André, Tanja, and life on a jobsite in Mozambique
A double (and fulfilling) journey
osé Manuel Bravo has served in the military, where he learned to drive auto-
mobiles. In 2004, he heard there were job openings at Odebrecht in Benguela
province, Angola, where he lives, and he joined the company as a driver on the Águas
de Benguela water supply project. He acquired more job skills by participating in the
company’s Education-through-Work initiatives, and now, as a Specialized Techni-
cian – Level 3, he is responsible for the Benguela Infrastructure Projects work front,
as well as being in charge of security for the entire venture’s assets. Married with
five children, he says his family is his rock. He often goes for walks with his wife and
kids, and plays soccer on the beach or in parks to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “I’m
very happy with my personal and professional growth,” he says. “I’m living proof that
Odebrecht is not just building projects: it also grooms people.”
Essential support
Elizabeth is now the only female Production Manager in the United States
FOLkS
At home and at work, José Manuel enjoys the gifts of life
mo
atiz
E P
ro
JEc
t
dEn
iSE
cr
uz
ew Yorker Elizabeth Lamborghini has a degree in
Construction Management and joined Odebrecht
six years ago, as assistant engineer on the construction
of the South Terminal at Miami International Airport. In
2011, she was promoted to Assistant Production Manager
on the AirportLink Metrorail project. In the meantime, she
had two children: Michael, 3, and Joseph, 1. Her husband
looks after them when Elizabeth can’t be close by. She is
now the Production Manager on the Structural Recovery
Program of the Herbert Hoover Dike on Lake Okeechobee,
far from home, in central Florida. She is also taking part in
the Program for Developing Entrepreneurs (PDE), which
takes hard work and dedication. In her few moments of
spare time, she goes swimming and boating with her fam-
ily. The next step is going back to college to take a lead-
ership course. “I was born to be a mother and a profes-
sional,” she says.
Elizabeth with her husband and kids: a mother and a professional
André and Tanja: an unusual marriage
José Manuel, with his wife and son: his family is his rock
T
N
J
48 informa 48
t’s 7 o’clock in the morning, and company mem-
bers are arriving at the Santo Antônio hydroelec-
tric plant jobsite in the city of Porto Velho to con-
tinue on the journey towards the conclusion of a
project that will soon be one of the biggest elec-
tric power generation developments in Brazil. When
it is fully operational and online in 2016, the dam will
provide 3,150 MW, enough power to meet the needs of
40 million Brazilians.
Santo Antônio is one of five projects administered by
Odebrecht Energia (Energy), the subsidiary the Group
created a year ago to focus exclusively on investing in
and operating power generation, distribution and sales
businesses. Besides Santo Antônio, the Chaglla hydro-
electric plant in Peru, Teles Pires, on the border of the
Brazilian states of Pará and Mato Grosso, the Senandes
Wind Corridor Complex in southern Brazil (Rio Grande
do Sul), and the solar plant to be installed in the Per-
nambuco Arena, in metropolitan Recife (in the Brazilian
northeast), round out the portfolio of assets managed
by the company, which has negotiated the energy these
ventures will produce. Through its share of these assets,
the company will be responsible for producing more than
1,400 MW, with a total investment of BRL 8.3 billion, of
which BRL 4.5 billion have already been invested.
The Odebrecht Group’s experience as an investor in
energy generation began in the 1990s, with the Itá hy-
droelectric plant in Santa Catarina, a project for which
it was also the contractor. At the time, it shared control
with Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN). Accord-
ing to Gabriel Ybarra, the officer Responsible for Busi-
ness Development at Odebrecht Energia, Odebrecht
put down roots in this segment through its participa-
tion as an investor in the project. Almost two decades
later, in July 2011, the Board of Directors of Odebrecht
S.A. approved the creation of Odebrecht Energia,
marking the beginning of a new cycle of learning ex-
periences and expertise.
Odebrecht Energia is the Group’s leading company in its new challenge as an
investor and operator of power generating assets
I
TIME OF transitionwritten by João Paulo carvalho
Santo Antônio Hydroelectric Plant construction project team in Rondônia: one of five ventures administered by Odebrecht Energia
1 year
Odebrecht Energia
od
ebr
ech
t a
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hiv
e
49informa
transition
“Odebrecht Energia arose from the need to connect
the links in the value chain for this segment,” explains
Entrepreneurial Leader (CEO) Henrique Valladares.
“We have been playing an active role as builders for
decades, and now we are entering the business as
investors. We want to use all the Group’s experience,
coupled with strong project management, and focus
on the investment and operation of power generating
assets.”
Marco Rabello, the officer Responsible for Finance
and Investments at Odebrecht Energia, underscores
a factor that has been especially significant on the
path towards the company’s growth: “It was very im-
portant to begin our activities with a solid corporate
governance structure, like the Group’s other busi-
nesses, and a corporate structure formed by profes-
sionals with extensive experience in that industry.”
He adds: “One of the main challenges, in addition to
everything that the market requires of us, was to build
the image of a company that invests in and operates
power generation assets and that, although detached
from the Engineering & Construction side, captures
a huge competitive advantage: synergy, considering
the Group’s know-how and expertise in building hy-
droelectric power plants.” Marco Rabello concludes:
“This image has been consolidated by over 60 years
of experience, starting with the construction of our
first hydro, which has accredited us internationally as
the largest builder of hydroelectric dams in the world,
outside our country of origin (according to Engineering
News Record - ENR magazine). We have helped install
over 58,500 MW of capacity by building 72 hydroelec-
tric, 12 thermoelectric and two nuclear plants.”
Legacy in practiceThe experience the Group has built up over the
years has many practical benefits for Odebrecht En-
ergia. One of the company’s biggest strengths was
ensuring that Santo Antônio began generating pow-
er ahead of time, in March of this year, nine months
ahead of schedule. Six of its 44 turbines are already
online, providing power to the states of Rondônia and
Amazonas until the Porto Velho-Araraquara trans-
mission line linking production to the national grid
goes into operation. When this line is up and running,
Santo Antônio will also provide power to the South-
east. The company completed the diversion of the
Huallaga River nine months ahead of schedule - a
milestone in the construction of the Chaglla hydro in
Peru. The plant should be ready in 2016 and will gen-
erate 406 MW, increasing clean energy generation in
that country by 6.3%.
Investing in alternative energy projects is also on
Odebrecht Energia’s radar. In the last week of October,
the BRL 400-million Senandes Wind Corridor Com-
plex received an installation permit from the State En-
vironmental Protection Foundation of Rio Grande do
Sul, and ground was broken in November. In addition
to this complex, Odebrecht Energia also has 16 more
wind farms, acquired in the states of Bahia and Ceará,
totaling 365 MW.
Fernando Chein, Director of Wind, Solar and SHP
(Small Hydro Power) Generation at Odebrecht En-
ergia, highlights the strategic aspect of this perfor-
mance for the nation: “Investments in this type of
energy generation function mainly as a reserve for
the Brazilian market.” In Senandes’s first stage, 40
wind turbines will be installed, made by Alstom at its
plant in Bahia. Each turbine is 95 m in height and
generates 2.7 MW.
The company is also putting its chips on power
generation through biomass. Currently, Odebrecht
Energia performs commercial and regulatory man-
agement for ETH Bioenergy, which generates energy
from sugarcane bagasse and has an installed capac-
ity of 737 MW distributed in nine plants. “In parallel
to this, we are studying new projects in Goiás, Bahia
and in countries where Odebrecht is already present,”
says Ailton Reis, Director of Generation for the Bio-
mass Market. Good for the nation, and good for the
environment.
From left, Gabriel Ybarra, Marco Rabello and Fernando Chein: a new cycle of experience and in-depth knowledge for the Group
ca
rLo
S Ju
nio
r
50 informa
FOR PROGRESS
ancestral talent
50
written by faBiana caBral photos by holanda cavalcanti
20 year
s
Mexico
Pyramid of the Moon at the Teotihuacán archeological site, an iconic symbol of Mexico: the country’s pursuit of development goes hand in hand with its past
51informa
FOR PROGRESS
From a hydroelectric dam to petrochemical projects, Odebrecht teams are taking part in ventures that are helping build the future the Mexican people want
52 informa
e were one of the first Brazilian
companies to arrive here. We didn’t
have the Internet or cell phones
back then.” Carlos Armando Pas-
choal’s story dates back to 1991,
when he moved to Mexico City. At the invitation of Pedro No-
vis, now a Member of the Board of Odebrecht S.A., he took
on the mission of starting CBPO Mexico, as the CEO for that
country. “Mexico had tremendous potential for projects like
subways, hydroelectric plants and dams. Our strategy was
to seek out local partners,” explains Carlos Armando. The
first was Grupo Mexicano de Desarrollo (GMD).
In January 1992, the National Water Commission issued
a tender for Los Huites – called the Luis Donaldo Colosio
Murrieta Dam when it officially opened – to control flooding
on the Fuerte River, irrigate farmland in the northwestern
State of Sinaloa, and generate electricity. Then Augusto
Roque arrived in Mexico City to bid for the contract as Proj-
ect Manager. “We won with a USD 10 million difference. It
was a wonderful feeling,” he says. “We tendered the best
technical and financial bid, and formed Consórcio Mexi-
cano Construtor de Huítes, a joint venture of Odebrecht,
GMD, ICA [Ingenieros Civiles Asociados] and La Nacional
Compañía Constructora,” adds Carlos Armando.
The Los Huites project presented three main challeng-
es: advanced technology, a short deadline, and high pro-
ductivity. “We had three years to deliver our ‘calling card’
in Mexico, and that’s what we did. We set the world record
for pouring concrete: 250,000 cubic meters per month,”
recalls Augusto Roque. “We introduced practices like the
Action Program and Education through Work, and did a lot
of planning,” he says. “We earned the trust and recognition
of our clients and partners,” observes Carlos Armando.
Between 1995 and 1998, Odebrecht played an active role
in the national program for the construction and expansion
of power substations and transmission lines in five states,
working for the Federal Power Commission, and built and
retrofitted housing platforms for the Cantarell Project, owned
by Pemex (Petróleos Mexicanos), the state oil company.
“The Mexican people are very creative and supportive,
extremely enthusiastic and tremendously productive,” says
Carlos Armando, who is now the President of Ilha Pura –
a company formed by Odebrecht Realizações Imobiliárias
(the Group’s real estate arm) and Carvalho Hosken to build
the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics.
Mexico has taught the current Director of Odebrecht Ener-
gia, Augusto Roque, an enduring lesson: “I’m an optimist,
but I tend to worry about things. The Mexicans taught me to
take a calmer view of things,” he says with a smile.
Luis Weyll, the Odebrecht CEO for Mexico, has been in
that country since 2009. He believes that Brazilians and
Mexicans identify with each other immediately: “We aren’t
viewed as foreigners here. We are Mexican citizens who
speak ‘portunhol’ [a mix of Portuguese and Spanish].” He
explains that the Group sees several opportunities in that
W
Carlos Armando Paschoal: “Our initial strategy was to find local partners”
Jorge Gavino in Michoacán: opportunities for work and income generation
“
country in the fields of water, power and ethanol, as well
as engineering & construction, and petrochemicals. “Our
capacity for crosscutting is a strength that sets us apart,”
he observes. For the fifth consecutive year, Odebrecht has
been hailed as a Socially Responsible Company, an honor
bestowed by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy. It has
also been named one of the 100 best companies to work
for in that country for the fourth year in a row, according to
the Great Place to Work Institute.
A young Mexican companyIn 2012, when the Group is celebrating two decades of
experience in Mexico, Vito Facciolla is marking 10 years in
that country. He arrived there in 2002 to support the devel-
opment of the company’s operations after the Mexican eco-
nomic crisis of the 1990s. “We saw a market that was heat-
ing up. Mexico’s GDP was one of the highest, and Pemex
had announced a number of investments,” says the current
Project Director at Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial.
The company won another contract in late 2004. In part-
nership with Técnicas Reunidas of Spain and Mexico’s Gru-
po Río San Juan, Odebrecht began revamping the General
Lázaro Cárdenas refinery in the State of Veracruz in Febru-
ary of the following year. Established in 1906, the complex is
the oldest in Latin America, and is the target of investments
totaling USD 4 billion.
Guillermo Iturbide, Deputy Director of Projects at Pe-
mex, remembers that the two companies successfully
faced the spike in oil and equipment prices in 2005: “We
built teams with the same goals and, thanks to efficient
communication and trust, we achieved success.” The refin-
ery reopened in July 2011, with its production capacity ex-
panded to 250,000 barrels per year. “We consider ourselves
a young Mexican company with growth potential,” says Vito
Facciolla.
Water for “hot lands”In 2007, Odebrecht teams arrived in the town of Nueva
Italia in the State of Michoacán to build the Michoacán Ir-
rigation Project. In the region called Tierras Calientes (“Hot
Lands”), an arid region blessed with fertile soil and a good
climate for farming, the project was designed to provide
the one thing it lacked through the storage and controlled
distribution of water resources. Comprised of a dam with a
storage capacity of 100 million cubic meters of water and
a gravity conveyance system, the project was completed
in 2011. It irrigates 12,500 hectares of land and produces
4.5 MW of power. With the onset of irrigation, the produc-
tive areas in that region - which is home to Mexico’s largest
ejido (cooperative), with 1,038 members - increased from
10,000 to 18,000 hectares. “During the dry season, we used
to go more than 40 days without water. Now, we have gone
back to planting rice and sugarcane,” says ejido member
Roberto Doddoli Calderon.
“Our legacy was creating opportunities for work and
income generation in that region. In conjunction with local
universities, we groomed 17 Young Partners, and some are
now officers Responsible for Programs,” says Project Di-
rector Jorge Gavino.
Working synergisticallyBack in Veracruz, in the industrial region of Coatza-
calcos, a joint venture of Braskem and Idesa is building a
petrochemical complex with the capacity to produce over
1 million metric tons of polyethylene. At present, Mexico
imports 70% of its supply of that product from the United
States. “The Ethylene XXI project is one of the greatest
examples of crosscutting within the Group, involving the
operations of Odebrecht América Latina, Odebrecht En-
genharia Industrial (Industrial Engineering), Foz do Bra-
sil and Braskem on the same project,” explains Roberto
Bischoff, the CEO of Braskem Idesa. José Luis Uriegas,
Director General of Idesa, says that this is the largest
53informa
petrochemicals investment in Mexico (and the largest
Brazilian investment in that country).
The partnership between the Brazilian and Mexican
petrochemical companies became official in 2010, after
Odebrecht won an auction to supply ethane gas to Pemex
under a 20-year contract. “We were seeking to balance
Braskem’s mix of feedstocks, including naphtha and gas,
and gas is more competitive,” explains Project Director
Stefan Lepecki. “This is Braskem’s first greenfield project
outside Brazil,” underscores Cleantho Leite, the company’s
Commercial and Business Development Director.
The first phase, earthmoving, was completed in Octo-
ber of this year, two months ahead of schedule. Accord-
ing to Odebrecht América Latina Project Director Luiz
Gordilho, it took just six months to move 7.5 million cu.m
of earth. “Thanks to our teams’ commitment, a produc-
tivity incentive introduced in the second month of work,
good relations with the local communities, and Health,
Safety and Environment programs, we were able to fin-
ish the job ahead of time and reduce costs for Braskem
Idesa,” says Luiz Gordilho.
For the second stage, the construction of the complex
- comprising a cracker plant, two high-density polyeth-
ylene plants, a low-density polyethylene plant and utili-
ties delivery systems – the contractor is a joint venture of
Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial (leader), Tecnip of Italy,
and the Mexican-American Ica Fluor Group. “These com-
panies complement each other and we will guarantee
performance in production and processes, while ensuring
conditions for environmental sustainability,” says Project
Director Eduardo Rozendo. “It will create 8,000 work op-
portunities, and about 60% of our new members will take
professional education courses,” says Odebrecht CEO
Francisco Penteado.
Gelácio Alvarez Dominguez, 33, used to work as a teach-
er in the town of Nanchital, but left the classroom for a job
on the Ethylene XXI Project. “I realized that this company is
concerned about people.” Gilberto Gonzales, 25, started out
as an assistant a year ago, and was promoted to production
foreman. “I want to go to college and get a degree in engi-
neering,” he says.
Currently, 2,000 people are working in the project’s op-
erations centers in Italy, France, the Netherlands, India,
Colombia, the United States and Mexico. “By the time the
complex goes online in 2015, we want to be recognized as
a major supplier of polyethylene in Mexico,” says Roberto
Bischoff. “We will be part of the new reality of investments
in this country,” he concludes.
informa
Ethylene XXI: Odebrecht América Latina, Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial, Foz do Brasil and Braskem on the same project
MEXICO
Some highlights
• Odebrecht’s �rst project in this country was Los Huítes, a contract awarded in 1992. The project broke the world record for concrete pouring volume. • Crosscutting: four Group companies are actively involved in the Ethylene XXI Project (now underway) - Odebrecht América Latina, Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial, Foz do Brasil and Braskem.
55informa55
ThE FUTURE
IS IN ThE written by carlEnE fontoura PhotoS By almir Bindilatti
airisitors are soon surrounded by the pleas-
ant aroma and natural freshness. There
are many different scents - mint, co-
riander, parsley - causing a curious
confusion of the senses. Your nose is
called on to perceive odors, and your taste buds seem
more acute. That green, well-tended garden is a source
of pride for the family. “I’m pleased with the results.
Thanks to my son’s hard work, we’re making more
money and keeping the larder full,” says Iraci Pereira,
Deian de Andrade’s mother. A resident of the Moenda
community (in the Southern Bahia Lowlands county of
Presidente Tancredo Neves), Deian is in charge of plant-
ing crops on their property.
V
The Presidente Tancredo Neves and Igrapiúna Rural Family Houses groom young entrepreneurs to lead their communities
Deian de Andrade on his father’s pineapple farm: the family is pleased with what he has learned, and the results he is getting from his garden
A student at the Presidente Tancredo Neves Rural
Family House (CFR-PTN), the 18-year-old cultivates
his crops with methods he is learning at the teach-
ing unit. Founded in 2002, CFR-PTN is celebrating 10
years of contribution to the education of new genera-
tions of rural entrepreneurs. One of them is Deian,
who sells vegetables to two establishments in the
community, earning a profit of BRL 500 per month
from that business alone. “Here in my hometown,
I can earn a decent living and am the master of my
own fate,” says Deian.
Education Director Quionei Araújo points out
that the main reason to celebrate a decade of CFR-
PTN is “a total of 250 youths, including graduates
5 anos5 year
s
Igrapiúna Igrapiúna10 ye
ars
Pres.Tancredo NevesPres. Tancredo Neves
56 informa
and current students, benefiting from the education
offered by this institution.” In 2009, the Bahia State
Board of Education accredited the CFR-PTN to offer
an Agricultural Technical Course in conjunction with
the High School curriculum, making it the first insti-
tution in the North and Northeast of Brazil to receive
this accreditation.
The CFR offers a three-year course with a curricu-
lum focused on the realities of the countryside, and
applies a methodology called Alternation Pedagogy.
Students spend a week boarding at the CFR-PTN
and two weeks on their properties, putting what they
have learned into practice. “We weren’t using the right
planting methods before. When our son explained
things step by step, we started getting results,” says
Iraci Pereira.
Deian de Andrade’s garden is part of the Integrated
and Sustainable Agroecological Production (PAIS) pro-
gram, a Bank of Brazil Foundation (FBB) “social tech-
nology.” Introduced at the CFR-PTN in 2011, this initia-
tive is being reproduced through the students’ families
to encourage farming methods that do not harm the
environment. The FBB has supported the work of the
Program for the Development and Growth Integrated
with Sustainability of the Southern Bahia Lowlands
Mosaic of Environmental Protection Areas (PDCIS)
since 2008. Developed by the Odebrecht Foundation
and its partners, the PDCIS aims to achieve a com-
mon, superior and noble goal: building a rural middle
class structured in family units, and making them the
protagonists of their own development and sustain-
able growth.
Synergy that gets resultsThe CFR-PTN works with the Presidente Tan-
credo Neves Farmers’ Cooperative (Coopatan) to
form a Cassava and Fruit-Growing Strategic Alliance
Cooperative. This way, young people receive train-
ing focused on the countryside, and farmers receive
technical guidance, get their produce to market, and
earn fair pay.
Shortly after he enrolled at the CFR-PTN, Deian
encouraged his father to join Coopatan. Denilson de
Andrade has reorganized his pineapple farm, and
now he delivers the fruit directly to the cooperative,
which has 214 other members. Jailton Ribeiro has
had a similar experience. The young man graduated
from the CFR-PTN in 2008, when he was 22. Today,
Class at the Presidente Tancredo Neves CFR: the curriculum is focused on the realities of the countryside
57informa
he works alongside his father and brother, growing a
variety of crops on 40 hectares of land. “Coopatan’s
support is critical for getting our produce sold in
supermarket chains,” says Jailton. “Thanks to the
knowledge I acquired at the CFR, I’m getting good
quality at a lower cost,” he adds.
Changing people’s livesJust as it is for the CFR-PTN, 2012 is also a special
year for the Igrapiúna Rural Family House (CFR-I). While
celebrating five years of activity, the CFR-I is keeping to
its mission of changing people’s lives. One example is
Edilton Clemente, 27, who produces hearts-of-palm. A
resident of the Mata do Sossego settlement in Igrapiú-
na, Bahia, he believes that his studies at the CFR have
played a key role in his life choices. “Without that op-
portunity, I would have had to leave here to find work,”
he guarantees.
Liana Souza, 20, graduated in 2011, and shares
her experience. “By joining the CFR-I, I learned to
appreciate my hometown,” she says. A resident of
the Limoeiro community in Camamu, Bahia, Liana
is growing cocoa, rubber and banana trees on her
property.
In 2012, the CFR-I is also celebrating its part-
nerships with the Mitsubishi Corporation of Brazil,
which is investing in the education of youth, and the
National Bank for Economic and Social Development
(BNDES), which has approved funds for the renova-
tion of the school’s headquarters.
By allowing students to assimilate knowledge
and put it into practice in their daily lives, the CFRs
encapsulate the essence of one of the Odebrecht
Entrepreneurial Technology’s guiding principles:
Education through Work. “That way, future entre-
preneurs are groomed to run their businesses re-
sponsibly and play a leading role in their own lives,
while changing the local realities of their communi-
ty,” says Odebrecht Foundation Educational Advisor
Joana Almeida.
Edilton Clemente: “Without that opportunity, I would have had to leave here to find work”
58 informa
All in the familyIn his own house and on Odebrecht construction sites, where he has worked for 40 years, Tiago always feels at home
PROFILE: Tiago Britto
t was February 1972. Bahia’s
carnival was in full swing, and
there was plenty of sunshine on
the beautiful beaches of Salvador,
Bahia, when Tiago Britto started
working at Odebrecht as an intern.
“For a young guy from Bahia, it
was a huge challenge, you know?”
he jokes. But Tiago knew that that
internship was an opportunity to
build the future of his dreams. In
2012, he turned 61 and celebrated
40 years with the Group. “This was
my first and only workplace,” he
says proudly.
After two years as an intern,
Tiago graduated in civil engineer-
ing from the Federal University at
Bahia (UFBA) and moved to Pom-
bal, Paraíba, to work on a high-
way construction project. “For the
first time, I experienced the power
of trust. I was the only engineer
there, and I was responsible for ev-
erything. My leader, Vitor Pinheiro,
who taught me a lot early on in my
career, was 400 km away, in the
city of João Pessoa,” he recalls.
After working in Paraíba, the
young engineer went to Sergipe
in late 1976, where he met Tereza.
They got married in 1980. From
1980 to 1989, Tiago worked on sev-
eral projects in the states of Goiás,
Sergipe, Alagoas, Bahia and Per-
nambuco. During that period, one
of the highlights of his career was
refurbishing the stretch of federal
highway BR-101 between Rio do
Braço and Rio Preto in Bahia. “It
was the first contract I’d won, and
I became the Project Director,” he
recalls with feeling.
In 1989, when he and his wife
were living in Recife with their
daughters Priscila and Flávia, then
7 and 5, respectively, Tiago got
an invitation to direct projects in
Portugal. There, he was in charge
of road and rail works and bridge
construction, among other ven-
tures. In 1996, he became the of-
ficer Responsible for Environment,
a program created to consolidate
water treatment and supply and
solid waste treatment projects in
that country.
Tiago learned important lessons
in Portugal. One had to do with con-
tract administration. “There were
times when we’d spend night after
night reading and rereading the
contracts and Portuguese laws,
so we’d know how best to proceed
written by EdilSon lima photo by kamEnE traça
Tiago with his daughter Flávia and his wife, Tereza, in Luanda: participating in Angola’s development
I
59informa
with the client,” he says. During his
13 years there, he visited several
countries: “I saw most of Europe.
I learned a lot in that period of my
life.”
When he returned to Brazil in
2002, his family settled down in
Salvador, but he was always on
the move. He was responsible for
projects in several Northeastern
states until, in 2007, he was invit-
ed to lead the Luanda Roadways
project. In no time, he was off to
Angola.
Once there, he took the helm of
a number of infrastructure proj-
ects in the nation’s capital. Cur-
rently, Tiago is the Project Direc-
tor for the Structuring Roadways
project, a complex of roadworks
being built in the metropolitan
area to improve access to the city
of Luanda. “I am happy to be able
to contribute to the nation’s devel-
opment,” he says.
Tiago lives in a condo with Tere-
za and Flávia, their younger daugh-
ter. Priscila lives in Salvador with
her 3-year-old son, who is named
after his grandfather. On Satur-
days, Tiago likes to play tennis, and
he never misses the regular Tues-
day soccer match with his friends.
Reflecting on the meaning of
his 40 years of work in the or-
ganization, he says: “I’ve grown
and developed at Odebrecht. And
people like Renato Baiardi [Mem-
ber of the Board of Odebrecht
S.A.] and Silvio Brown [a former
Director) played a key role in
that process. I enjoy a relation-
ship of trust and loyalty with the
company, and want to pay back
everything I’ve learned by giving
service and teaching, especially
young people.”
60 informa
curvesOF DEVELOPMENT
Grooming people and
contributing to the community’s
sustainable development: hallmarks of Odebrecht’s
operations in Ecuador and
Colombia
written by Júlio céSar SoarES and rEnata mEyEr photos by yann vadaru
60
20 year
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Colombia25 ye
ars
Ecuador 25 an
os
Argentina
Santa Elena Project: first contract in Ecuador
od
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resent in Colombia for 20 years and in
Ecuador for 25, Odebrecht is carrying
on with its operations in both coun-
tries during a time of excellent pros-
pects, particularly economic growth
in Latin America and the consequent increase in
investment opportunities, especially in the infra-
structure sector. “Our operations will tend to get
even stronger, given the economic upturn and the
institutional stability of those two countries,” says
Luiz Antonio Mameri, CEO of Odebrecht América
Latina. “The quality of our professionals is Ode-
brecht’s main ally in achieving the company’s
growth and perpetuity,” he adds.
Ecuador: exporting professionals In the head office of the Daule Vinces irriga-
tion project in Guayaquil, the framed photo of the
Trasvase Santa Elena project is getting old and
taking on a reddish tinge. Twenty-five years ago,
Odebrecht began the project shown in that picture
on the wall, its first in Ecuador. And two and a half
decades later, it is still telling the same story.
“The country is growing steadily, especially in
the hydropower and infrastructure sectors,” says
Ecuador CEO Jose Santos. Two of the five proj-
ects now under way involve the energy sector: the
Manduriacu hydroelectric plant, with capacity of
60 MW, and the construction of a new 900-m wa-
ter conveyance tunnel for the Pucará hydroelec-
tric plant. He adds, “Our greatest achievement is
grooming teams to work here and in other coun-
tries”: 1,098 of the 1,168 company members cur-
rently working in Ecuador are local hires.
Jesus Leonardo Rodríguez, the officer Re-
sponsible for Materials at the Daule Vince irriga-
tion project, is one of Ecuadorians who have gone
abroad to learn and teach. Now with 22 years’ ex-
perience of work at Odebrecht, he started out as
an engineer on the Santa Elena project. He worked
in Honduras, Cuba, Panama and Bolivia before
returning to Ecuador. “Having the opportunity to
leave my home country and help groom new pro-
fessionals in other markets makes me feel like I
am giving back to Odebrecht for what I have re-
ceived,” he says.
Grooming people is at the roots of Odebrecht’s
operations in Ecuador. “When we first established
a presence there, we perceived the need to bring in
Ecuadorian professionals as a way to understand
the local culture, and the best way to work there,”
recalls Genésio Lemos Couto, a former officer Re-
sponsible for Administration and Finance in that
country who now works at ETH Bioenergy. “There
were people with good technical backgrounds, but
who lacked practical experience on the jobsites.
We created the Entrepreneur Supervisor Program
to help accelerate their knowledge of the routine
of Odebrecht’s projects and culture.”
In 1993, Odebrecht Ecuador held the first edi-
tion of the Young Partner Program outside Brazil.
“Grooming people is paramount, and something
that characterizes Odebrecht: the philosophy of
making people the basis for everything,” says
Katherine Calle, Administrative Manager of Ode-
brecht Ecuador. She took the first course offered
in her country. Katherine fondly recalls her days
as a Young Partner. “It’s amazing. You take in every
aspect of a project, and see its full scope. That’s
essential for students. It helps them figure out
where they fit in on a project,” she explains.
The educational drive in Ecuador is ongoing.
One example is the Ruta Viva project, a 5.5-km
P
Jesus Rodríguez: giving back
61informa
62 informa
road linking Quito, the nation’s capital, with the
new Mariscal Sucre airport. “We have eight young
partners recruited from universities in Quito. They
will gain first-hand knowledge of the day-to-day
routine of a project,” says Ecuadorian Project Di-
rector Gonzalo Diaz.
On the recently started Pacífico Refinery project,
the first edition of the Ecuadorian Creer (Believe)
professional education program already has over
a thousand applicants, and it has not even begun.
“We contribute actively as partners in this country’s
development. This is a joint effort we are carrying
out along with all Ecuadorians at Odebrecht,” says
José Santos. Flor Gonzalez Chong, who works in
the Daule Vinces Project’s Treasury department
and has been with the company for 24 years, does
not hesitate to say: “Without a doubt, Odebrecht is
now more Ecuadorian than Brazilian.”
Colombia: 99% local membersIn Colombia, where Odebrecht has been pres-
ent for 20 years, the company’s operations have
one of the lowest percentages of expats in the
entire Group: 99% of its members are Colombian.
“Although the quality of Colombian professionals
is very good, we have engaged in an intensive ac-
culturation effort. We want to demonstrate that we
are not just offering people jobs here but giving
them an opportunity to build a career,” says Luís
Batista, the officer Responsible for People and Or-
ganization.
Community outreach is also an important fea-
ture of Odebrecht Colombia’s operations. About
7,500 people have acquired job skills through the
Creer Program. Since its inception in 2010, it has
received 16,000 applications and a total invest-
ment of USD 1.4 million. To support communities
affected by the Ruta del Sol project, currently un-
derway, the company has created the Basic Social
Plan, which consolidates programs focused on im-
proving people’s quality of life and mitigating the
impacts of the highway’s operations. Odebrecht
began operations in Colombia in 1992. It has played
an active role in projects like the construction of Oil
Pumping Stations for British Petroleum (BP) and
Ecopetrol, the Drummond Carbon Port, the La Lo-
ma-Santa Marta Railroad, and Termocali Thermal
Power Plant I. It was also responsible for the Miel I
hydroelectric plant, which has increased the coun-
try’s power supply by 5%. “All these projects have
left a significant legacy for the country’s develop-
ment,” says Jorge Barragán, a Colombian member
who joined the company in 1996 as a production su-
pervisor and is now a Project Director.
In 2003, following the completion of the Miel
I Dam, the Group stayed in the country to pros-
pect for new opportunities. In late 2009, the com-
COLOMBIA & ECUADOR
Some highlights
Ecuador• Members: 1,168 (of whom 1,098 are Ecuadorians)
• Ongoing projects in the energy, road and oil re�ning sectors
• In 1993, Odebrecht Ecuador o�ered the �rst edition of the Young Partner Program held outside Brazil.
Colombia• Members: 4,986
• More than 7,500 skilled workers, through the Creer Program
• Ruta del Sol, under construction, is one of the most important road infrastructure work s in Latin America
pany’s teams won two contracts that marked the
beginning of a new era in Colombia: building the
Tunjuelo-Canoas Interceptor, an 11-km tunnel
that will convey sewage from Bogotá to the future
Canoas treatment plant, and the concession and
construction of the Ruta del Sol Highway, one of
the most important road infrastructure projects
currently under construction in Latin America.
This 1,071-km route will bolster Colombia’s
competitiveness in the international market and
improve access to the ports of Cartagena, San-
ta Marta and Barranquilla. USD 2.5 billion will
be invested in this project, which is divided into
three sectors. Concessionária Rota do Sol S.A.S.,
a concession company formed by Odebrecht and
two Colombian firms, Corficolombiana and Sol-
arte, is responsible for the construction, op-
eration and maintenance of the 528-km stretch
corresponding to Sector 2. That USD 1-billion
stretch links Bogota with the Caribbean coast,
and is considered the most important section of
the Ruta del Sol.
“The highway runs through a region responsible
for approximately 70% of the nation’s GDP, and
where 20,000 vehicles circulate daily, including 70%
heavy transportation, which indicates that the Ruta
del Sol is one of Colombia’s main arteries,” says
Eder Paolo Ferracuti, President of Concessionária
Ruta del Sol S.A.S.
In 2011, Odebrecht won another contract in that coun-
try: the construction of the Dos y Medio-Otanche Highway
in the state of Boyaca, a major coal producer.
According to Luiz Bueno, CEO of Odebrecht Co-
lombia, the prospects are encouraging: “The Co-
lombian government has announced a package of
highway concessions worth over USD 20 billion for
2013. This is a sophisticated country where flag-
ship projects will require the participation of the
private sector, and this is the way to ensure the
qualified growth of our operations going forward,”
says Luiz Bueno.
Ruta del Sol: making Colombia more competitive. Below, Jorge Barragán: legacy
63informa
64 informa
wITh FREE TRANSITpartnership
The Merrill Barber Bridge, in Vero Beach, and the Golden Glades Interchange in Miami are some of the results of Odebrecht’s joint journey with the FDOT in Florida 64
written by thaíS rEiSS
hen they arrived in the USA in
the early 1990s, Odebrecht’s
pioneers in that country set
up a small office near Miami
International Airport. Gilber-
to Neves, now the CEO for the company’s North
American operations, talks about those days with
a good-humored smile as he recalls the make-
shift furniture they installed in that modest space.
The office doors did double duty as a table top
when meetings were called. It was in this relaxed,
unassuming – but highly professional – atmo-
sphere, imbued with the ethos of service, that the
Odebrecht team started winning major contracts
in one of the world’s most competitive markets.
“The principles of the Odebrecht Entrepre-
neurial Technology (TEO) were a key part of this
process,” says Gilberto. “The main factor that
Wsets us apart has always been gaining the trust
of our clients and members, while adding value to
our partners and communities.”
One of the long-term relationships the team
developed back then is now a 20-year partnership
with the Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT).
Numerous results of a productive partnershipOn March 27, 1992, Odebrecht won its first
contract for an FDOT project: the construction
of a system of overpasses, bridges and accesses
called the Golden Glades Interchange. Approxi-
mately 4 km long and 29 m high, Golden Glades
20 year
s
FDOT - Florida, USAFDOT - Flórida, USA
65informa
64
The company’s second contract with the FDOT,
awarded in 1993, was for the Merrill Barber
Bridge in Vero Beach, on the east coast of Florida.
Luiz Simon, who was Responsible for Planning
and Costs on that project, observes: “This expe-
rience gave rise to a pioneering and successful
model for our team’s operations in other parts
of the United States, since it was our first project
outside Miami.” That model has since been repli-
cated in other areas. For example, the manage-
ment team for the Merrill Barber Bridge went to
northwestern Florida in 1996 to build a bridge for
the FDOT in Santa Rosa.
Since 1992, Odebrecht has delivered 10 proj-
ects built in partnership with the FDOT, including
roads and highways. According to Mauricio Gon-
zalez, the current Project Director responsible
for that client, there is much more work ahead.
“Our next project involves the widening of I-395,
located between the American Airlines Arena and
the Performing Arts Center, two landmarks built
by our team in recent years in Miami. As we start
the project, we look forward to the opportunities
in front of us to contribute to the community as
well.”
is the main hub for five eastern and southern
arteries in the state of Florida. One of the proj-
ect’s main challenges was effectively and safely
managing the flow of over 350,000 vehicles that
passed through that area on a daily basis.
Jose Abreu, now the Director of the Miami-Dade
Aviation Department, was the local FDOT Secre-
tary at the time. he recalls: “Our office interacted
very well with Odebrecht. As with any large-scale
project, there were disagreements between us at
times, but we were always successful in working
things out amicably and professionally.”
This was the first of the many projects Jose
Abreu worked on alongside Odebrecht, including
the expansion of Miami International Airport’s
North Terminal and the donation of the gorgeous
murals by Argentine-Brazilian artist Carybé,
which have been fully restored and are now hang-
ing in the South Terminal of the same airport, also
built by Odebrecht.
Merrill Barber Bridge
Golden Glades
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ervo
od
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ech
t
t is not even 9 am, and actor and artist Caio Muniz
is already standing in line, waiting to see Moças
Aéreas (Flying Girls), a show being staged in the
Castro Alves Theater (TCA), the largest cultural
complex in the northeast-Brazilian state of Ba-
hia, which completed 45 years activity in 2012. “Every
artist wants to perform here, and everyone wants to sit
in the audience. The Castro Alves Theater is a cultural
icon and benchmark in Bahia,” said Muniz, before par-
ticipating in another edition of the “Sunday at the TCA”
project. held once a month on Sunday mornings, it
stages productions in a variety of artistic languages at
the affordable price of BRL 1.00 (less than 50 cents US).
Designed to be one of the most important theaters in
Brazil, and built by Odebrecht, the TCA was completed on
July 2, 1958, but a fire broke out shortly before the official
opening. As a result, it only opened nine years later, on
March 4, 1967. Engineer Piero Marianetti, now a Mem-
ber of the Board of Odebrecht S.A., began working at the
company in 1951 and was a “student” of Nelson Peixoto,
the supervisor responsible for the construction of the
TCA. Although not directly involved in the construction
and post-fire “reconstruction” of the theater, Marianetti
followed the project closely. “The Castro Alves Theater
was Odebrecht’s first major venture in the field of the
arts and culture.”
Luiz Marfuz holds a PhD in Performing Arts and is a
professor at the Federal University at Bahia (UFBA) The-
ater School. he was the MC for the celebrations marking
Odebrecht’s 50th and 60th anniversaries, both of which
were held at the TCA. Marfuz observes that Bahia’s larg-
est theater has a democratic architecture, unlike conven-
tional facilities built in the Italian mold, which are divided
into boxes, friezes and balconies that separate members
of the audience according to their means: “Since its in-
ception, the TCA has gone in a different direction, the top
of the line in modernity, because it abolishes class divi-
sions and creates a large audience, without distinction.”
66 informa
OF TIMEspectacle
66
written by andré frutuôSo
I
The theater’s director since 2007, Moacyr Gramacho
also attended the celebrations marking Odebrecht’s 50th
and 60th anniversaries, and designed all the backdrops
for those events. he points out that the theater’s history
coincides with the history of Brazilian music and drama,
and highlights another key aspect: “The TCA is now a
cultural complex that brings artists and the public to-
gether and encourages dialogue between them. It is no
longer just a place for shows.”
Memorable productionsSeveral memorable performances and concerts have
been presented at the TCA: Clementina de Jesus and
Paulinho da Viola performed as a duo in a concert titled
“Golden Rose,” one of the theater’s inaugural events;
the renowned Brazilian actor Paulo Autran starred in
45 year
s
Castro Alves Theater
67informa
The history of the Castro Alves Theater is sometimes
shocking but always thrilling, making it the main address
of the arts and culture in Bahia
Centers for Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Bahia
(Neojiba).
Considered the heart and soul of the institution, the
Technical Center, in the process of being converted into a
Reference Center for Entertainment Engineering, brings
together activities such as set design, makeup and props,
lighting, wardrobe design and production, and a costume
collection. The goal of this sector is to spread knowledge
of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the performing arts
and provide support not only for TCA productions but to
groups from other institutions.
Choreographer Lia Robatto sums it up this way: “The
TCA does much more than rent out space for produc-
tions. It is a center for the dissemination and promotion
of culture, because it encourages reflection, training and
dialogue between artists and the public.”
the play “Bourgeois Gentleman” in 1968, and legendary
singer Elis Regina gave a concert there in 1969, among
many others.
Today, the TCA is made up of the Main hall, the
Choir Room and the Acoustic Shell, hosting an aver-
age of 250 events and attracting about 290,000 people
per year. with the support of the State Government, it
is home to the TCA Ballet Company, the Bahia Sym-
phony Orchestra, and the TCA.Núcleo, which selects
one show to be staged each year; Plugged Conversa-
tions, a series of “chats” including the public, artists
and cultural producers involved in the shows staged
at the theater; and the TCA Series, which allows the
theater to present famous names and breakthrough
talent from the world scene of music, theater, dance
and the circus. Additionally, the TCA houses the State
67informa
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ACTION AND RESPONSE“want to reap good things? Plant good things”
statement given to válBEr carvalho edited by alicE GalEffi
s a child, when he saw his
mother make homemade
soap, Helcio Colodete al-
ready knew he wanted to be a
chemist. The reaction of the ingre-
dients in that process fascinated
him. Over time, he realized that
chemistry goes beyond the labora-
tory. It also regulates and governs
human relationships. Now the
Odebrecht Oil & Gas (OOG) Man-
aging Director of Specialized Well
Services for the Venezuelan, Mexi-
can and Brazilian markets, Colo-
dete is not one to reject a challenge
- he believes they elevate human
nature. The following is a summa-
ry of his interview with the Savvy
Project. The full video is available
on the Odebrecht Informa website
(www.odebrechtonline.com.br)
Learning chemistry“I was born in the interior of Es-
pírito Santo, into a farming family
with the vision and action of small
entrepreneurs. I was raised to
make my bed and wash up after
myself, and that instilled in me the
concept of responsibility, getting
things done, helping out and mak-
ing a contribution. As a child, I saw
my mother making homemade
soap from organ meats and other
products, and I remember that to
this day. She would leave ingre-
dients to boil in a pot, and soon
they had turned into soap. It was
homemade soap, of course. Noth-
ing fancy. But it worked very well,
and that always intrigued me a lot.
When I started studying science,
I realized that it was a chemical
reaction, and at that moment I
said, ‘That’s what I want to do in
my life.’”
First sight“I studied chemical engineering
and, coincidentally, I met the per-
son I married, and we had a couple
of great kids. My dream was to join
an organization that was just get-
ting started, and then the opportu-
nity arose to go to CPC [Companhia
Petroquímica Camaçari] Alagoas.
At the time, Odebrecht owned 33%
of CPC. We design the plant, started
it up and went through that whole
period of improved performance,
in short, those types of challenges
that always arise in a venture when
it begins operations. That’s when
my leader, Paulo Maranhão, in-
vited me to take the helm and run
the plant. From then on, I realized
that chemistry also governs and
regulates human relationships. I
learned the joy of working with peo-
ple and making sure that they’re al-
ways motivated, engaged and have
a passion for what they do.”
Good example“In 1996, Odebrecht acquired
majority stakes in Petroquisa and
Norquisa and formed Trikem,
which became the company that
produced chlor-alkali and PVC. I
had the fortunate opportunity to be
chosen for the position of industrial
SAvvY
A
leader in Alagoas. It was a magical
time in my life. We had a plant in
the city of Maceió, with homes and
people living 500 meters away.
This relationship between the
environment, the community and
the people living in the vicinity of
an active plant must always be
harmonious. It was through this
process that I learned the impor-
tance of communication. Form-
ing closer relations with the com-
munity, focused on transparency
and dialogue. Want to reap good
things? Plant good things. If you
sow good seeds, your harvest will
be good going forward. We created
a structured environmental educa-
tion program that involves the mu-
nicipal and state schools, and the
program now reaches more than
40 municipalities within the state.
Therefore, within our principles
and concepts, I strongly advocate
permanent harmony with the con-
cept of sustainable development.”
Focus“The 2000s arrived, and I trans-
ferred to Bahia. It was a period
marked by transition. OPP Trikem
ceased to exist and we created a
large company, which is now the
largest petrochemical company in
Brazil and the Americas: Braskem.
I was leading a group of in-
dustrial units in Bahia when
the merger process got start-
ed. I went to Braskem and took
charge of the area of steam
generation, power and pipe-
lines. The area was known as
“utilities,” meaning that it was
not the “valuable” part of the
company. Even the members of
that area said the name was not
appropriate because it could be
confused with home appliances.
So we thought about chang-
ing the name to emphasize the
enormity of what we wanted to
build. The name was changed to
“industrial energy and essential
services.” When we change the
name, we change the focus. I re-
member we had a control room
which only served the leaders at
the time. We got rid of all that.
The goal is not to have a hier-
archical structure, segregation.
The ultimate goal is people and
the relationship between them.”
Challenge“Then I got an invitation to lead
a group of 120 people around Bra-
zil. The program involved renewing
Braskem’s management process-
es. It was a major challenge, not
only because of the quality of deliv-
ery but the deadline. We started the
project in October 2005 and had to
deliver the Formula project on Sep-
tember 30, 2006. What a challenge.
And challenges elevate human na-
ture. We went into operation, what
you call “go live,” on October 1st.
Nearly 80% of the company’s man-
agement processes began running
in a new environment. To my sur-
prise, in January 2007 I received an
invitation from Luiz Felli to become
the Industrial Director for Vinyl. I
saw my mother use those flakes to
make homemade soap, and later on
I learned that that was caustic soda.
Fifteen years after I graduated from
college, I started to lead the chlor-
alkali unit, the largest producer of
caustic soda in Latin America.”
Lesson in humility“I never had a chance to work
with Mr. Norberto Odebrecht, but
I make a point of being by his side
and listen to his teachings. Once I
came to Brazil with a group from
Venezuela to visit our companies,
and we went to visit the Founda-
tion. Mr. Norberto Odebrecht re-
ceived us kindly, but before that he
was already prepared. He called
me in advance and asked, ‘Who is
your client? I want to focus on your
client.’ And when we walked into
the room to start the meeting, he
pointed to his chair and wanted me
to sit there. I said I couldn’t sit in his
chair, but he replied: ‘Here you are
the leader, so you should sit there
and run the meeting.’ What a fan-
tastic thing! That was a great lesson
in humility.”
Hélcio Colodete: taking pleasure in working with
people and motivating them
6969
70 informa
hOME, SAFE home
written by EdilSon lima photos by kamEnE traça
70
The Population Resettlement Program guarantees decent housing for the Angolan people
efore sunrise in the Zango district
of the town of Viana, in the Luanda
metropolitan region, Antônia Eliza-
bete Trajano, 52, is making the
breakfast she will serve to custom-
ers in her tiny restaurant. Better known as Dona
Antônia, she has lived in Zango for the last six
years. She set up her small business in a room in
the house she received from the Angolan govern-
ment. Smiling, she says life is different now com-
pared to the precarious conditions in which she
used to live, in a semi-finished building in the town
of Rangel: “Here we have water, power, a good
house. There we didn’t have any of that. All we had
Bwas candlelight, and we had to ask the neighbors
to let us fetch water from their faucets.”
Dona Antônia and her family are experiencing
a new phase of life. She shares her home with five
children and a niece. To handle the growing number
of customers, she has hired three people to help at
the restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, dinner
and drinks. “More and more customers are coming
by, especially when there’s a soccer game,” she says,
pointing to the TV mounted high on the wall, an added
attraction in her establishment. The bean soup is one
of the regulars’ favorite dishes. “They love it.”
Like Dona Antônia’s family, thousands of oth-
ers are now enjoying a better life. That is because
10 year
s
PRP - Angola
71informa
since 2002 the Government has been implement-
ing the Population Resettlement Program (PRP)
to improve the living conditions of the Angolan
people, who now have decent housing, water and
electricity, the starting point for regaining their
status as first-class citizens. Moreover, the pro-
gram has freed up strategic areas of the capital for
urban development, especially major arteries. This
year, the initiative was restructured and received a
new name: the Provincial Social Housing Program
(PPHS).
The director of the PPHS, architect Luís Anas-
tácio Manuel, explains the change: “Following the
end of the armed conflicts in this country in 2002,
many families started living on roadsides and in
high-risk areas. So initially, the Government’s pri-
ority was to build dwellings to rehouse a large part
of this demand. Since the focus was on building
the houses, only some social facilities were built,
and the roads were unpaved. Today, our goal is to
continue building housing and further expand the
infrastructure in existing areas. We will increase
the potential water and power supply, as well as
making more investments in basic sanitation and
other facilities.”
20,000 houses by 2013In the last 10 years, the program has gone
through several stages: Zango I, Zango II, Zango
III and Zango IV. Altogether, about 15,000 homes
have been built, including 10,300 constructed by
Odebrecht, which has played an active role in the
program since its inception. In March 2011, the
company started working on a new contract for the
expansion of Zango IV, including infrastructure for
20,000 more homes and the construction of 6,000
by 2013. “Odebrecht is committed to the nation’s
development. We recognize the importance of this
housing program for the Angolan people and the
Government,” says Project Director Maurizio Bas-
tianelli.
To streamline expansion and enable efficiency
gains, in 2012 the Odebrecht team changed its
construction method with a view to building more
homes in less time, without losing sight of the qual-
ity of the final product. Previously made of mason-
ry, dwellings are now built with precast concrete
walls. “We’ve slashed the time of building a house
almost in half through Knowledge Reuse. This way,
Mónica Celeste and Rui Fernando Genito, at home with their daughter Fernanda: “This is where I want to see my children grow up”
Antónia Elizabete Trajano: “More and more customers are coming by”
we are meeting the needs of the Government and
the beneficiary families more quickly and efficient-
ly,” says Maurizio. “We have 2,200 workers on this
project, 95% of whom are Angolans. The teams also
include graduates of the Acreditar [Believe] Ongoing
Professional Education Program,” says Administra-
tive-Financial Manager Marcus Vinícius Vianna.
In addition to water and power, residents receive
garbage collection service, schools, health centers,
police stations and transportation. The Zango IV
expansion project includes the construction of four
Social Services and Community Centers (CSSCs),
including new schools, medical facilities, areas for
shops, and a vocational education center, as well
as playing courts. Private establishments like Dona
Antônia’s restaurant are springing up every day, but
there are also construction supply outlets, super-
markets, banks and small service providers.
“I have no words to describe it” In this atmosphere of transformation and
change, Rui Fernando Genito feels that he has found
a safe place to raise his daughter Fernanda, born
in September, and three other children: Angélica, 4;
Ruicela, 3; and Genito, 2. “I’m 37 years old, and I
must say that things were tough where we used to
live,” he observes.
Born in Moxico Province, in eastern Angola, Rui
Fernando arrived in Luanda 20 years ago as a ref-
ugee. He lived in a Government shelter for a long
time, and spent the last three years living with his
family in a corrugated iron shack next to the cem-
etery in Luanda. “There was no infrastructure at all.
When it rained, everyone got wet,” he recalls.
Accompanied by his wife, Mônica Celeste, Rui
Fernando welcomed Odebrecht Informa into his
home. He proudly showed the team the three bed-
rooms, living room, kitchen and bathroom that
make up his 68-sq.m home. They moved in seven
months ago. “This is where I want to see my chil-
dren grow up. Getting my own home is a dream
come true, I have no words to describe it,” he says,
clearly moved.
Margarida Augusto, 39, tells a similar story. She
used to live in a corrugated iron shack in the Iraque
neighborhood of Luanda. Because the Government
was building major infrastructure works in that
area, her family and the other people who lived
there were resettled in Zango. Three years later,
she is now on the Zango III Residents’ Commit-
tee, whose responsibilities include looking out for
newly arrived families. “This is a big achievement.
It’s nothing like our previous living conditions,” she
says. Rita Augusto, 18, Margarida’s eldest daugh-
ter, recalls: “We used to have to walk through al-
leys, past sewers and ditches. We didn’t have any
schools. Things are different here.” Besides Rita,
Margarida has two other children, Williane, 14, and
Eliseu, 4.
When analyzing the program he runs, Luís Anas-
tácio Manuel is emphatic: “We know that there is a
big demand for housing, not only in Luanda and the
metropolitan area but in 17 other provinces. We are
studying other areas that will be prepared for the
construction of affordable housing. These initiatives
are part of a series of infrastructure projects that the
Government is carrying out throughout the country
to improve the daily lives of the Angolan people.”
72 informa
The Augusto family (from left, Rita, Williane, Margarida and Eliseu): fresh prospects in Zango
Next issue:Social Programs
Founded in 1944,
Odebrecht is a Brazilian
organization made up of
diversified businesses with
global operations and
world-class standards of
quality. Its 180,000 members
are present in the Americas,
the Caribbean, Africa, Asia
and Europe.
reSPONSIbLe FOr cOrPOrAte cOMMUNIcAtION At cONStrUtOrA NOrbertO Odebrecht S.A. Márcio Polidoro
reSPONSIbLe FOr PUbLIcAtIONS PrOGrAMS At cONStrUtOrA NOrbertO Odebrecht S.A. Karolina Gutiez
bUSINeSS AreA cOOrdINAtOrS Nelson Letaif Chemicals & Petrochemicals | Andressa Saurin Ethanol & Sugar | Bárbara Nitto Oil & Gas | Daelcio Freitas Environmental Engineering | Sergio Kertész Real Estate Developments | Antonio Carlos de Faria Infrastructure & Transport | Josiane Costa Energy | Letícia Natívio Industrial Engineering and Defense & Technology | Herman Nass Shipbuilding Coordinator at Odebrecht Foundation Vivian Barbosa
edItOrIAL cOOrdINAtION Versal Editores editor-in-chief José Enrique Barreiroexecutive editor Cláudio Lovato Filho english translation H. Sabrina GledhillArt and Graphic Production Rogério NunesIllustrations Adilson SeccoPhoto editor Holanda Cavalcanti English Edition Coordinator & Electronic Publishing Maria Celia Olivieri
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Originally published in Portuguese. Also available in Spanish.
74 informa
“A creative idea is only
an entrepreneurial idea
when it can become
an opportunity
to give better service”
TEO (Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology)
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