Vibra CEO shares his management insights from leading diverse companies
11/18/2024
“In a career, there is no right or wrong. I believe it’s about understanding what motivates you, what makes you happy, what gets you up every morning [and making choices based on that].” That is the advice from Ernesto Pousada, CEO of Vibra and this week’s guest at CBN Professional podcast. In a conversation with Stela Campos, Career Editor at Valor, and Juliana Prado from the CBN radio station, Mr. Pousada revealed that he has always been driven by big challenges. This drive led him to leave the multinational chemical company Dow after 15 years for the Brazilian pulp and paper maker Suzano. “I looked inward and felt I wanted to experience a different company’s culture. I had a strong desire to work for a Brazilian company.”
With Dow, Mr. Pousada spent 11 years in Brazil, three in the United States, and two in Switzerland, which gave him “a very interesting background in understanding different cultures, environments, different countries.”
Mr. Pousada says the move to Suzano shaped him into the professional he is today. “I was stable with a promising international career at Dow, everything was set up for success, but my restlessness drove me to take a leap into the unknown,” he said.
In 2004, the offer came from David Feffer, a third-generation shareholder of Suzano. “I was captivated by the opportunity to grow, develop, and experience a new culture,” said Mr. Pousada, who stayed with Suzano for 11 years. During that time, the company expanded tenfold.
When joining Suzano, Mr. Pousada switched fields, moving from the commercial area to operations. “It was an area where I didn’t have much experience, so I changed sectors and fields, which brought me significant learning,” he noted. He believes the combination of these experiences prepared him for the future.
After that, Mr. Pousada took on the role of CEO for South America at Ingredion—in the food sector—and later as CEO of VLI Logística. The transition between these two organizations was partly driven by his desire to stay in Brazil. “At some point, I would have been ‘exported’ again for an international career at Ingredion, potentially even becoming the global CEO one day. But I didn’t want that; my family situation had changed, and my children were settled in Brazil. At that time, it didn’t make sense for me,” he said. “You strive for a balance between professional and personal life.”
At VLI, he reported directly to the board of directors, which was not the case at Ingredion. “I would have more freedom in my role,” he explained. He remained there until 2023, when he took on his current position at Vibra, a fuel distributing company—adding yet another new sector to his career. His advice? “Enter with the mindset of asking more questions than dictating how things should be,” he said. “Respect the technical knowledge of others, be humble in asking questions, and understand that you don’t know anything about that sector yet. How do I prepare? By studying extensively. Studying a lot, listening to those who understand the sector, and seeking diverse opinions.”
According to him, “you can’t take a ready-made recipe from one company to another.” “You might have a ‘modus operandi,’ which is, of course, you, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s about identifying the key elements and value drivers and acting on them quickly.”
Throughout the podcast, Mr. Pousada discussed his role at Vibra, the management model he has been implementing over the past 18 months, and the introduction of a people and technology department. “I see a strong connection between technology and people, especially from an organizational culture perspective, which is what we’re aiming for,” he said. “Because culture is the key pillar that underpins a company’s long-term strategy.”
The executive also talked about energy transition, decarbonization, and global warming.
*By Adriana Fonseca — São Paulo
Source: Valor International