{"id":94626,"date":"2025-06-17T10:39:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T13:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/?p=94626"},"modified":"2025-06-17T10:39:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T13:39:00","slug":"top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/","title":{"rendered":"Top executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
Business leaders honored at “Executivo de Valor” award highlight interest rates, political risk, and legal uncertainty as key challenges<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

06\/17\/2025 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

For the 25 executives honored with this year\u2019s\u00a0Executivo de Valor<\/em>\u00a0award, high interest rates stand out as the top challenge to business performance in Brazil. Inflation, exchange rate, political instability, and legal uncertainty also rank among the main concerns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Despite caution over the macroeconomic outlook, many companies are focused on the long term and plan to maintain their investment strategies. For some, however, growth plans still hinge on ongoing deleveraging efforts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Opening the event at the Rosewood Hotel in S\u00e3o Paulo, Frederic Kachar, CEO of Editora Globo and Sistema Globo de R\u00e1dio, stressed the need for greater diversity in corporate leadership. \u201cOf the 25 awardees, 13 are first-time winners, which shows how dynamic the market is,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen good progress in female representation in recent years, but since 2023, that progress has stalled. We need to advance the diversity agenda through a structured approach to leadership development.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

To lead a winning company, Mr. Kachar added, discipline is essential to deal with disruptions amid fierce competition and evolving consumer behavior. \u201cOnly those who preserve an organization\u2019s essence\u2014with awareness, discipline, resilience, coherence, and vision\u2014can truly carry its culture forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Maria Fernanda Delmas, editor-in-chief of Valor, said companies today bear an enormous social and environmental responsibility. \u201cA company will only be long-lasting and contribute to society if the people who pass through it are aware of that responsibility and use their power to drive the necessary changes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Milton Maluhy Filho, CEO of Ita\u00fa Unibanco, Brazil\u2019s largest private-sector bank, said reducing the country\u2019s benchmark interest rate to a less restrictive level depends on fiscal policy. \u201cIf Brazil manages to ensure debt sustainability, the country will be better positioned to attract investment\u2014both foreign and domestic,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are many opportunities in Brazil, and we need to make the most of this window.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Daniel Slaviero, CEO of energy company Copel, echoed that view. \u201cThe high cost of capital is always a concern, but I believe interest rates may be near their peak,\u201d he said. \u201cWith improvements in fiscal conditions, we may see rates start to fall in the medium term.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The impact of high rates will be felt soon, warned Belmiro Gomes, CEO of cash-and-carry retail chain Assa\u00ed. He sees this as one of the biggest risks to business investment, as rising corporate debt burdens eventually affect consumers\u2014especially low-income groups, who are already hard-hit by inflation and now face tighter credit conditions. Assa\u00ed has reviewed some of its investments and adopted a more disciplined capital allocation strategy since early 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Ricardo Ribeiro Valadares Gontijo, CEO of real estate developer Direcional, also pointed to the cost of capital as a serious issue. \u201cIt\u2019s extremely high, and that makes many vital projects unfeasible,\u201d he said. He acknowledged the need for rate hikes to curb inflation but argued they should last \u201conly as long as strictly necessary,\u201d given the long-lasting consequences. Home financing has been particularly affected, with available credit still largely reliant on savings accounts\u2014which are seeing reduced inflows\u2014and the Workers\u2019 Severance Fund (FGTS). \u201cCredit is the main engine of our business,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

In the mobility sector, Bruno Lasansky, CEO of Localiza & Co., said higher interest rates are the top challenge. \u201cWe expect rates to keep rising through the end of the year, which impacts credit availability and cost.\u201d His solution: focus on disciplined resource allocation and stronger returns. \u201cIf money becomes more expensive, you have to improve returns through more efficient revenue generation and cost control.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Even so, Mr. Lasansky sees opportunities in fleet rentals, as corporate funding costs rise. Localiza plans to continue investing heavily this year, he said, especially in technology platforms for renting, subscribing to, or buying vehicles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Fabio Faccio, CEO of Renner, which just marked its 60th anniversary, noted that while fashion retail has been performing well, \u201chigh interest rates and inflation are bad news for everyone.\u201d He emphasized that Renner\u2019s debt-free balance sheet is an advantage in the current environment. \u201cHigh rates are a serious problem for anyone carrying debt.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Jeane Tsutsui, CEO of medical diagnostics and healthcare services group Fleury, also pointed out that now is not a good time for companies to be overleveraged. \u201cGiven high interest rates, we\u2019re lightly leveraged. We managed our debt well last year and are well-positioned for the current environment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Rafael Vasto, CEO of Daki, a four-year-old online supermarket unicorn, flagged off-target inflation as another key concern. \u201cWhether it\u2019s high inflation or a Selic [policy] rate at 14.75%, both affect how we operate as a retailer buying and selling goods. That\u2019s the biggest issue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Roberto Val\u00e9rio, CEO of Cogna\u2014the country\u2019s largest education group\u2014shares similar concerns. \u201cPart of the challenge is macroeconomic expectations, not just interest rates but household income. Will rising rates and inflation reduce families\u2019 purchasing power and lead to lower education spending?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Legal uncertainty<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Eduardo del Giglio, CEO of HR tech startup Caju, and Ana Sanches, head of mining giant Anglo American in Brazil, also raised concerns about legal uncertainty. \u201cRegulatory changes are constantly under discussion,\u201d said Mr. Del Giglio. Ms. Sanches added that resolving legal instability could even become \u201ca competitive advantage for Brazil\u2019s mining sector versus other markets.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Carlos Hentschke, CEO of agribusiness and seed technology company Syngenta Seeds, agreed. \u201cThere\u2019s legal uncertainty. This politically polarized, unstable environment isn\u2019t good for any sector,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Raquel Reis, CEO of SulAm\u00e9rica Seguros\u2019 health and dental division, pointed to a deeper issue: over a decade of intense ideological conflict has hampered the creation of a clear, nonpartisan economic agenda. \u201cMany countries know where they\u2019re headed and what their top priorities are. Whether a right-wing or left-wing party is in power, the direction doesn\u2019t change. Brazil still struggles to define that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Christian Gebara, CEO of Telef\u00f4nica Vivo, joined Mr. Hentschke and Ms. Tsutsui in highlighting currency volatility as a major hurdle. \u201cExchange rate fluctuations are what hurt us most. A dollar at R$6 directly impacts the price of the products we sell,\u201d he said. Vivo resells smartphones and electronics, and any increase in product prices affects both consumers and the company\u2019s service margins.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Echoing Ms. Sanches of Anglo American, Ricardo Neves, CEO of NTT Data in Brazil, said human capital development must become a national priority\u2014especially amid growing use of artificial intelligence. As a global consulting firm, NTT Data sees a talent shortage in tech due to low digital literacy in Brazil. \u201cThis gap holds back business growth and the country\u2019s readiness for the digital economy,\u201d Mr. Neves said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The 2025\u00a0Executivo de Valor<\/em>\u00a0awards were supported by master sponsors ArcelorMittal, Care Plus, Cemig, and Zeekr (official car of the event), with additional backing from Gol, Febraban, Rosewood Hotel S\u00e3o Paulo, and Eletromidia.<\/p>\n

*By\u00a0Valor\u00a0\u00a0\u2014 S\u00e3o Paulo<\/p>\n

Source: Valor International<\/p>\n

https:\/\/valorinternational.globo.com\/<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Business leaders honored at “Executivo de Valor” award highlight interest rates, political risk, and legal uncertainty as key challenges     06\/17\/2025 For the 25 executives honored with this year\u2019s\u00a0Executivo de Valor\u00a0award, high interest rates stand out as the top challenge to business performance in Brazil. Inflation, exchange rate, political instability, and legal uncertainty also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8106],"tags":[26191,8976,24766],"class_list":["post-94626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-murray-news","tag-and-legal-uncertainty","tag-interest-rates","tag-political-risk"],"yoast_head":"\nTop executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation - Murray Advogados<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Top executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation - Murray Advogados\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Business leaders honored at “Executivo de Valor” award highlight interest rates, political risk, and legal uncertainty as key challenges     06\/17\/2025 For the 25 executives honored with this year\u2019s\u00a0Executivo de Valor\u00a0award, high interest rates stand out as the top challenge to business performance in Brazil. Inflation, exchange rate, political instability, and legal uncertainty also […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Murray Advogados\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-17T13:39:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gelcy Bueno\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gelcy Bueno\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gelcy Bueno\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/dd0d0bea46c2436124555d18c1a0d52e\"},\"headline\":\"Top executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-17T13:39:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/\"},\"wordCount\":1183,\"keywords\":[\"and legal uncertainty\",\"interest rates\",\"political risk\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Murray News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/\",\"name\":\"Top executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation - Murray Advogados\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-17T13:39:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/dd0d0bea46c2436124555d18c1a0d52e\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"In\u00edcio\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/home\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Top executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Murray Advogados\",\"description\":\"PLG International Lawyers\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/dd0d0bea46c2436124555d18c1a0d52e\",\"name\":\"Gelcy Bueno\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1ef2acfe966d6deacdeccd2a24ea89192c41fd05fc60e57b79021358a47f5641?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1ef2acfe966d6deacdeccd2a24ea89192c41fd05fc60e57b79021358a47f5641?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Gelcy Bueno\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/author\/news\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Top executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation - Murray Advogados","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Top executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation - Murray Advogados","og_description":"Business leaders honored at “Executivo de Valor” award highlight interest rates, political risk, and legal uncertainty as key challenges     06\/17\/2025 For the 25 executives honored with this year\u2019s\u00a0Executivo de Valor\u00a0award, high interest rates stand out as the top challenge to business performance in Brazil. Inflation, exchange rate, political instability, and legal uncertainty also […]","og_url":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/","og_site_name":"Murray Advogados","article_published_time":"2025-06-17T13:39:00+00:00","author":"Gelcy Bueno","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gelcy Bueno","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/"},"author":{"name":"Gelcy Bueno","@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/dd0d0bea46c2436124555d18c1a0d52e"},"headline":"Top executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation","datePublished":"2025-06-17T13:39:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/"},"wordCount":1183,"keywords":["and legal uncertainty","interest rates","political risk"],"articleSection":["Murray News"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/","url":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/","name":"Top executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation - Murray Advogados","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-06-17T13:39:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/dd0d0bea46c2436124555d18c1a0d52e"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/top-executives-see-long-term-prospects-but-flag-rates-inflation\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"In\u00edcio","item":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/home\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Top executives see long-term prospects but flag rates, inflation"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/","name":"Murray Advogados","description":"PLG International Lawyers","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/dd0d0bea46c2436124555d18c1a0d52e","name":"Gelcy Bueno","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1ef2acfe966d6deacdeccd2a24ea89192c41fd05fc60e57b79021358a47f5641?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1ef2acfe966d6deacdeccd2a24ea89192c41fd05fc60e57b79021358a47f5641?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Gelcy Bueno"},"url":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/author\/news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94626"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94629,"href":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94626\/revisions\/94629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/murray.adv.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}