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Executive Team

Sergio
Leitão

Executive
Director

Before founding Instituto Escolhas, Sergio was Public Policies director and director of the Greenpeace Brasil campaigns. He is also one of the founders of the Socio-environmental Institute (Instituto Socioambiental – ISA), acting as executive director. He acted previously as a lawyer in the Indigenous Rights Nucleus (Núcleo de Direitos Indígenas – NDI) and as legal advisor for the Study Project on Indigenous Lands (Projeto Estudo sobre Terras Indígenas – Peti) of the Anthropology Department of the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro.

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Gisela
Cordeiro

Institutional
Process Manager

Graduated in Economics, Gisela dedicated the first part of her professional life to strategic finance areas of major multinational companies. Later, she migrated to act in social organizations, where the experience acquired in the private sector consolidated her performance in the Finance and Institutional Management areas.

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Larissa
Rodrigues

Portfolio
Manager

With a PhD and Master of Science degree in Energy from the University of São Paulo (USP), Larissa coordinated the Research and Investigation sector at Greenpeace Brasil, besides acting as campaigner for Climate and Energy. She has solid experience with climate, energy and forest themes. Larissa took part in projects with international organizations, universities and the private sector in regulation and modeling of energy systems.

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Jaqueline
Ferreira

Portfolio
Manager

PhD and Master of Social Sciences by the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), she functioned as invited researcher by EPSJV/Fiocruz in projects regarding health issues in areas undergoing land reform. She functioned as consultant in projects for institutional strengthening of civil society organizations in the fields of education and sustainable development.

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Cinthia
Sento Sé

Institutional
Communication
Manager

Postgraduate journalist in Communication Management by the University of São Paulo (USP), holding a master’s degree in Development and Social Management by the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). Throughout her career, she acted in the structuring of communication and social articulation fronts in several social organizations, especially those committed to sustainable development and right to education.

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Salete
Cangussu

Media Relations
Assistant

A graduate journalist of the University of Mogi das Cruzes (UMC). Salete has large experience in communication and press advisory services in the public and private sectors, with emphasis on crisis management and articulation with strategic actors. Before acting at Instituto Escolhas, she headed political and commercial campaigns.

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Juliana
Luiz

Project
Manager

PhD in political science (IESP), Master in international relations (PPGRI/UERJ), and researcher at the World Political Analysis Laboratory (Labmundo). Juliana has worked as a data curator (AGCRJ and CPDA), as a researcher at different research centers (UNIRIO, UERJ and FGV), and as a lecturer of international relations (UFRRJ and UCAM). At the Third Sector, she acted as Coordinator of Philantropy Projects and as Institutional Partnerships Coordinator. Her main topics of interest include agriculture, food systems and international relations.

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Rafael
Giovanelli

Project
Manager

PhD candidate and Master in Law & Development at FGV DIREITO SP. He coordinated the strategic litigation area at WWF-Brazil, where he also worked as a public policy advisor. He was an advisor to CONAMA, representing civil society, and has worked for renowned environmental law firms. He has solid experience in environmental, climate and human rights issues.

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Emily Brandão

Project
Coordinator

PhD in geography and sustainable development (UniBern, Switzerland), Master in Environmental Planning (PPE/COPPE/UFRJ) and Bachelor in Geography (UFRJ). Emily has experience in evaluating and designing sustainable projects. She has also analyzed public policies on food systems and sustainable agriculture. Her main topics of interest include environmental geography, political ecology and agrarian geography.

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Gabriela
Matos

Institutional
Communication Analyst

Gabriela is graduated in Public Relations by Fecap (SP). Before joining Instituto Escolhas, Gabriella worked at ISMART, where she contributed for the structuring of the Communications area, especially regarding organization of events and social network governance.

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Rafael
Cardoso

Financial
Analyst

Graduated in Finance Administration by the Anhanguera College (São Paulo), as well as completing an extracurricular course in Business Management, Rafael worked in multinational companies as Unilever and Ajusa do Brasil, providing support in financial planning and logistics. Starting a new phase of his professional career in the Third Sector, Rafael brings his experience acquired in the Private Sector to the administrative and financial areas of Instituto Escolhas.

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Board of Directors

Mariana
Luz

President

Mariana is CEO at the Maria Cecília Souto Vidigal Foundation. Previously, she was CEO at the Embraer Foundation in the USA, Superintendent Director at Instituto Embraer, Director of Sustainability and Institutional Relations at Embraer Brazil. She began her career at the Brazilian International Relations Center, the main international policy think tank in Brazil, where she acted for nine years in different areas. Mariana also retained her academic career as professor of international relations in graduation and post-graduation of universities such as FAAP, Cândido Mendes and Universidade da Cidade. In 2015, Mariana was nominated Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She has also acted in separate nonprofit advisory boards and is part of the Junior Achievement Advisors of the city of São Paulo, United Way Brasil and Center of Excellency and Innovation in Public Policies (Centro de Excelência e Inovação em Políticas Públicas – CEIPE/FGV). She is an International Relations graduate by the University Estácio de Sá, with post-graduation and master’s degree in history by the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), and specialization in the Universities of Oxford and Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

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Marcos
Lisboa

One of the founders of Instituto Escolhas, Marcos was CEO at Insper and holds a PhD by the University of Pennsylvania (USA), having graduated and obtained a master’s degree by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Marcos was assistant professor at the Stanford University; assistant professor at EPGE/FGV; Economic Policy Secretary at the Finance Ministry; President of the Brazilian Reinsurance Institute (IRB-Brasil Re) and had also occupied the position of Vice President at Itaú-Unibanco until 2013.

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Ricardo
Sennes

Managing director at Prospectiva and specialist in economic and political scenarios, formulation and implementation of public policies as well as evaluation of their impacts on the companies. Ricardo has experience in industrial and fomenting policies with international insertion. Ricardo has a PhD and master’s degree in Political Science by the University of São Paulo (USP). Presently he is a nonresident partner of the Latin American program of the Atlantic Council and is a member of the board of the Foreign Affairs magazine (Mexico and USA).

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Sergio
Leitão

Executive
Director

Before founding Instituto Escolhas, Sergio was director for Public Policies and director of the Greenpeace Brasil campaigns. He is also one of the founders of the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), in the position of executive director. He functioned as a lawyer in the Indigenous Rights Nucleus (Núcleo de Direitos Indígenas – NDI) and legal advisor for the Study Project on Indigenous Lands (Projeto Estudosobre Terras Indígenas – Peti) of the Anthropology Department of the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro.

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Scientific Counsel

Rudi
Rocha

President

Rudi is a graduate with master’s in economy by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and holds a PhD in Economy by the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ). Adjunct Professor at the Economics Department of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) for Quantitative Methods and Applied Econometrics. He is vice president of the Brazilian Econometrics Society (Sociedade Brasileira de Econometria – SBE). He was an associate economist at the Institute of Labor and Society Studies (Instituto de Estudos do Trabalho e Sociedade – IETS) from 2003 to 2011 and associate researcher at the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-RJ) from 2011 to 2012. He was awarded the Haralambos Simeonidis prize in 2012, for the best Brazilian doctoral thesis, with the theme “Empirical Essays on Human Capital and Development”.

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Ariaster
Chimeli

Ariaster holds a Bachelor of Economics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, with a master’s degree and PhD by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Full Professor at the University of São Paulo with postdoc from the Columbia University, International Research Institute for Climate and Society. Ariaster functioned as assistant and associate professor at the Ohio University and is presently associated professor of Economics at the University of São Paulo. His teaching experience also includes courses conducted at the Columbia University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ariaster is a researcher focused on relations between economy, environment and development, with COA and empirical studies on themes such as economic growth and the environment, climate, tropical forests, energy and international trade. Ariaster has experience in studies, consulting and training for the Department of Energy of the United States, the government of the State of Minas Gerais, organs of the Brazilian and US government and the private sector.

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Izabella
Teixeira

Izabella was Minister for the Environment in Brazil. She is graduated in Biology by the University of Brasília (unbalance), holding a Master in Energy Planning and PhD in Environmental Planning by COPPE/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Her career began as Special Secretary for the Environment and, subsequently, in the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Natural Renewable Resources (Instituto Brasileiro de Meio Ambiente e Recursos Naturais Renováveis – IBAMA). She has acted in various managerial and directorial positions in the federal public administration. In 2013, she received the UN Champions of the Earth award for global political leadership in Environment. Izabella was a member of the UN High Level Panel on Sustainable Development Objectives and the 2030 Agenda. She headed the Brazilian Delegation at the conference of the UNFCCC Parties in Paris – COP 21. In 2017, she exercised the Co-Presidency of the UN Natural Resources Panel – Environment – IRP/UNEP. She is also a senior fellow for the environment and climate change of the Brazilian Center of International Relations (Centro Brasileiro de Relações Internacionais – CEBRI).

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Marcelo
Paixão

Marcelo holds a bachelor’s in economics by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ – 1989), a master’s degree in Production Engineering from UFRJ (1994) and a PhD in Sociology from the University Institute for Research of Rio de Janeiro (2005). Marcelo presently acts as assistant professor at the Economics Institute of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). From 2010 to 2012, he was a researcher at CNPq; was nominated Young Scientist of our State at FAPERJ and received the CAPES postdoc scholarship at the University of Princeton, New Jersey, USA. He was member of the UFRJ University board of directors from 2009 to 2012, in charge of coordinating the Economic Analysis Laboratory, Historical, Social and Statistics of Racial Relations (Laeser), created in 2006 and linked to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). He conducts research activities in the field of ethnic-racial inequalities, labor relations in urban and rural areas, and the crisis in the world of labor. He teaches the disciplines of Political Economy, Labor Economics, Introduction to Economics, Introduction to Social Sciences, and Nation and Nationality. He is acting as visiting scholar at the University of Austin, Texas.

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Marcos
Lisboa

Founder and member of the Board of Directors of Instituto Escolhas, Marcos is the CEO at Insper with a PhD in Economy by the University of Pennsylvania (USA), with graduation and master’s degree from the federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Marcos was assistant professor at the Stanford University from 1996 to 1998; assistant professor at EPGE/FGV from 1998 and 2002; Secretary for Economic Policy of the Ministry of Economy from 2003 to 2005; CEO of the Brazilian Reinsurance Institute (IRB-Brasil Re); and previously Marcos was VP at the Itaú-Unibanco bank until 2013.

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Fiscal Counsel

Plínio
Ribeiro

President

CEO at Biofílica Ambipar Environment, Plínio is a business administrator at Insper, with a master’s degree in public administration and Environment from the University of Columbia and Earth Institute (USA). Plínio acted in conservation projects in the lower Rio Negro for the Ecological Research Institute (Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas – IPÊ) and coproducer of Jean Michel Cousteau´s documentary ´Return to Amazonia` (Retorno à Amazônia).

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Fernando
Furriela

Fernando is a Lawyer, with graduation and master’s degree from the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC-SP), with post-graduation in European Law from the Catholic University of Lisbon, and Commercial Law from the University of São Paulo. He is a counselor in Human Rights and Environment entities and partner of the Furriela Advogados law firm.

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Zeina
Latif

Zeina holds a PhD in Economy from the University of São Paulo (USP). She was head economist at XP Investimentos, and previously worked at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), ING, ABN-Amro Real, HSBC. Zeina writes weekly articles for Broadcasting at Agência Estado (São Paulo).

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