The Hero's podcast

We had the pleasure of a deep conversation on boards and governance with Mauro da Cunha, one of the most experienced independent directors in Brazil. After a career as an equity investor, he spent seven years running AMEC (the Brazilian association of institutional investors) before building a deep and high profile portfolio of independent-director positions at major listed Brazilian companies: Pe...

Fabián Kon spent a decade transforming Banco Galicia from a traditional, functionally structured institution into one of the most digitally advanced banks in Latin America. In this episode, he traces an unconventional path: from military school, through consulting at Accenture, running a port operation, leading an insurance business, and eventually overhauling the retail bank that he would go on t...

Maria Helena Santana has enjoyed a long and storied career in the Brazilian capital markets. She was deeply involved in the development of the higher-governance Novo Mercado in the early 2000s, seeking a market solution to the lack of confidence in Brazilian equities at the time. She subsequently led the CVM during the global financial crisis - despite which, the CVM managed to pass a number of ke...

Gianfranco has been CEO of Credicorp since 2022, after a successful career leading the retail bank within the group. He shares how his unconventional experiences as a young man in the fishing industry influenced his curiosity and empathy for those around him, and how this informs his leadership style today. Of particular interest in this episode is the detailed discussion around Yape, Credicorp&#3...

With heartfelt thanks to our guests so far - looking back on some of the lessons, and forward to the upcoming conversations with a particular focus on financial services, starting with Gianfranco Ferrari, CEO of Credicorp, Maria Helena Santana, on the board of Itau (amongst many other things), and Juan Carlos Mora, CEO of Bancolombia.

Eugenio de Zagottis is well known to the market by virtue of his long tenure as an executive at Raia Drogasil, the largest drugstore chain in Brazil. But by virtue of his unique position in the fourth generation of one of the founding families, he is able to put the evolution of the governance of the company into full context for us. We learn how a succession crisis in the 1970s shaped the way the...

Peter Furukawa is the CEO of Lojas Quero Quero, a Brazilian retail chain specializing in home improvement and construction materials in small cities in rural areas. Peter previously held leadership roles in Submarino, Pernambucanas and IMC. In this wide ranging conversation, Peter shares his insights from a long career into what it takes to lead, and have others want to follow. We also discuss the...

Irlau Machado was the CEO of Intermedica from its acquisition by Bain Capital, through eventual IPO until the merger with Hapvida in 2022. We discuss his personal transformation after receiving a cancer diagnosis in his 30s, the career changes that resulted and insights from his subsequent experience running one of the largest healthcare businesses in Brazil. He explains the logic behind the trans...

Dennis is the CEO of Totvs, the leading ERP software provider in Brazil. As you will hear, this is someone with incredible drive and ambition who has been involved in over 50 M&A transactions in his career. He shares his personal journey, from entrepreneur to executive, and his motivation to keep pushing forward. Despite his profile, this is not a well known aspect of his story. We also have t...

Carlos is the CEO of Rotoplas, a family-controlled Mexican water products and services company with operations across the Americas. This is at its core a conversation about managing a Family business; the long arc of preparing the next generation to lead, and knowing when to step aside. Recognising when perpetuating a business for the long term requires a new skillset. In this episode Carlos talks...

In this short introduction, David and Mario discuss the nature of what they are hoping to achieve with the Hero's podcast. With foundations of respect, trust and empathy they will explore the personal journeys of business leaders across Latin America and the world, seeking to uncover a deeper understanding of the individual and the businesses they have lead.