Hi everyone, I’m Pedro. I’m a member of Booth’s Class of 2021, who has been having tons of fun getting to know the most interesting people I’ve ever met. Whether I’m participating in Wine Club events or traveling with those in the Investment Banking Group who have already become some of my best friends, the MBA experience has transformed the way I see the world and has pushed me to even further embrace my father’s wise words: “Be bold and you will conquer!” This summer I joined Bank of America Merrill Lynch in their investment banking division dedicated to real estate, gaming and lodging. It’s an accomplishment that feels more like a dream I could not imagine I would achieve when my professional track started seven years ago.
Being from Brazil, with Human Development Index (HDI) inequalities that range from Norway to sub-Saharan Africa, has allowed me to closely relate to people with varied economic and historical backgrounds. Spending weekends at a little village, where my grandfather had a former fisherman house, I loved to fish at the coral reef with the joyful locals. These friendships made me aware of the difference in opportunities between us and inspired me to pursue ways to help improving those friends’ lives. These relationships seeded my adult dream to boost development using education and entrepreneurship as well as infrastructure and housing development.
Witnessing my family run its real estate development business inspired me to dream big and guided my way. I studied in my hometown, Maceio, until my senior year in high school when, through the Aspect Foundation, I joined an exchange program in Virginia, US. After graduation, I went back to Brazil with a plan that drove many of my decisions: I wanted to run a big business devoted to real estate and infrastructure, helping to boost those industries that were lagging in my country.
Keeping that focus, I joined the Federal University of Alagoas pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. After some research projects, a great study abroad program in Spain, and three years doing part-time internships in construction work, I decided to pursue a business path after graduation.
Thus, I moved to Rio de Janeiro and joined Andrade Gutierrez, a big Brazilian infrastructure group, through an international trainee program, which included a year with rotations in Africa, Europe, and Latin America. From the end of that year on, I joined their investment branch as a private equity analyst and then associate. I grew a lot in those experiences working in M&A transactions and managing some of the company’s investments through its board of directors. This included being a member of the board in the public-private partnership that developed the Olympic Park for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and that also involved a neighborhood development featuring billions of dollars in investments.
At some point, I just felt it was time to shift gears to an experience that would launch me even further. Which is why I’m now here at Booth, having the time of my life!
