RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On May 9, the president of the Board of Directors of Magazine Luiza, Luiza Helena Trajano, received the Person of the Year award from the Brazil-United States Chamber of Commerce in New York.
Trajano was nominated for the honor in May 2020, but the ceremony was postponed because of the covid-19 pandemic. According to the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, the Person Of The Year is “the main event of the Brazilian-American community in the United States”.
In her speech, Luiza Helena Trajano declared that she never imagined that she would receive the award one day. The businesswoman also said she was grateful to “all the women” in Brazil. “You cannot imagine how represented they feel with all the awards I receive, especially this one,” she said.
Luiza Helena Trajano, president of the Women’s Group of Brazil, is the only Brazilian woman in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world – she was also included in the Financial Times’ group of the 25 most influential women of 2021.
She is the 3rd woman to receive the honor. The 1st was the former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Carla Anderson Hills, in 1990. The 2nd, Brazilian businesswoman and former president of the Edson Queiroz Group, Yolanda Queiroz (1928-2016), in 2008.
PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
The CEO of IBM, Virginia Rometty, was also awarded the title. The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce honors two outstanding leaders – one Brazilian and one American – considered fundamental to strengthening the ties between the countries.
Among those honored with the title are former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former US President Bill Clinton, former Brazilian Minister Henrique Meirelles, and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
APPOINTMENTS IN NY
On May 9, the businesswoman rang the opening bell that started the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) trading session. She spoke at the Brazil Summit.
The event brought together government representatives, economists, financiers, and business leaders to discuss Brazil’s economic and business environment and the role of the private sector as an engine of post-pandemic growth. Among the guests were the president of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Gustavo Montezano, and the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development president, Marina Grossi.
With information from Poder360