Brazil boasts many of the best C-suites in Latin America, according to money managers and stock analysts surveyed for Institutional Investor’s 2019 Latin America Executive Team.
Out of the 88 companies recognized this year, 53 were based in Brazil. Thirty-six of these firms earned the designation of Most Honored Company, awarded to organizations which earned a top-three ranking in at least two of the survey’s four categories: Best CEO, Best CFO, Best IR Professional, and Best IR Company.
This year’s leading firms, according to Latin American investors and sell-side researchers, included Brazilian companies Kroton Educacional, IRB Brasil Resseguros, Vale, and Localiza Rent a Car. Each of these firms swept their industry sector by winning in all four categories. Their first-place chief executives are Rodrigo Calvo Galindo, head of elementary and secondary schools company Kroton; José Carlos Cardoso of reinsurance firm IRB-Brasil Resseugros; and Eugenio Pacelli Mattar, who leads rental car company Localiza.
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Fábio Schvartsman — former chief executive of iron ore producer Vale — was also recognized as the No.1 CEO in his sector, metals and mining. Schvartsman stepped down from his role in March after a deadly dam burst in January, according to the firm, but was still eligible for this year’s ranking.
Top companies outside of Brazil included Mexican cement manufacturer Cemex, led by CEO Fernando Gonzalez-Olivieri, and Argentine e-commerce firm MercadoLibre, run by Marcos Galperin. Both firms swept their respective sectors, picking up wins for their CFOs and investor relations teams in addition to recognition for Gonzalez-Olivieri and Galperin.
More than 1,000 buy-side analysts, money managers, and sell-side researchers from about 430 firms voted to determine the members of this year’s Latin American Research Team.
