Board of Directors

Our board of directors is comprised of professionals with solid experience in different fields and focuses on promoting long-term returns to shareholders. The board is responsible for defining the company’s strategy and bringing independent judgement on issues of performance and risk while supervising the actions of the executive officers through the approval of relevant projects and assessment of results. Additionally, the board approves each of the quarterly and full-year financial results and dividend announcements.

The company bye-laws allow for the formation of the board of directors, composed of at least five members, with terms of office of up to two years, with the right to re-election. Board meetings are conducted quarterly, and extraordinarily when convened by any member of the board.

Cezar Baião

Graduated in Economics from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). Having joined Wilson Sons in 1994 as CFO, served as CEO of the Brazilian operations for 20 years. During his term, Wilson Sons became the largest integrated provider of port and maritime logistics services in Brazil. From 1982 to 1989, he served as Money Market Manager at JP Morgan and also as Finance Director of Grupo Lachmann, between 1989 and 1994. He is a board member of Rio de Janeiro Industrial Center (CIRJ).

Christopher Townsend

A German and British citizen. He is a qualified solicitor and has an MA from Peterhouse College, University of Cambridge, and an MBA from London Business School. He is an investment director of Hansa Capital GmbH and has been a non-executive director of Ocean Wilsons Holdings Limited since 2011. He previously worked at Coller Capital Limited and as a solicitor at Ashurst Morris Crisp.

Fernando Fleury Salek

Is an economist educated at PUC-Rio specialising in Corporate Finance, International Finance and Marketing. He joined Wilson Sons in 2016 as CFO of Brazilian Subsidiaries. With a solid experience in leadership roles for capital-intensive companies, he served as BG Group Finance Vice President in Brazil where he was responsible for the Planning and Budgeting departments, Accounting including Audit, Risk Management, Tax and IT. Previously, Salek worked at BHP Billiton, where for six years he served as Vice President of Corporate Finance in Netherlands and subsequently in Great Britain. He is a member of the board of directors of the Brazilian Association of Public-Use Container Terminals (ABRATEC).

José Francisco Gouvêa Vieira

Received a Law Degree from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in 1972. He holds a Masters degree in Law from Columbia University, New York (1978). He has been a Partner with Gouvêa Vieira Advogados since 1971 and has been with the Company since 1991. He has served as Chairman of the Board (1997-2022) and Director of Ocean Wilsons Holdings Limited (1997-2022) and of Ocean Wilsons (Investments) Limited (1997-2022). He served as a Director of various companies, including PSA Peugeot Citroen Brazil, Lafarge Brazil, Ultrapar, Cetip, Concremat – Engenharia e Tecnologia S.A (member of China Communication and Construction company). He is a member of the Corporate Governance Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce – São Paulo (2005) and honorary consul to the Kingdom of Morocco in Rio de Janeiro (2007).

William Henry Salomon

Graduated from Magdalene College Cambridge with a degree in law and then qualified at the English Bar. He was Chairman of Rea Brothers PLC and subsequently became Deputy Chairman of the investment division of Close Brothers PLC. In 1999 Mr. Salomon established Hansa Capital, an FCA regulated investment manager and adviser. He is Chairman of Hanseatic Asset Management LBG and Senior Partner of Hansa Capital Partners LLP as well as a Director of Hansa Investment Company Limited. He is also Chairman of ScotGems PLC. In addition he is Deputy Chairman of Ocean Wilsons Holdings Limited, the company which holds the controlling interest in Wilson Sons.

Cláudio Frischtak

Is the head of Inter.B – Consultoria Internacional de Negócios, a financial and economic consulting firm based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mr. Frischtak was formerly a Principal Economist at the World Bank where he worked from 1984 to 1991. Mr. Frischtak’s graduate work in economics was undertaken at the University of Campinas, Brazil and at Stanford University (1980-84). While at the World Bank he was an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Economics at Georgetown University (1987-1990). He has published over 100 academic papers and books and has worked extensively on issues related to infrastructure, industrial organisation and regulatory/competition policy, and innovation and technological change.

Mauro Moreira

Graduated in Accounting and Business & Management, he completed the Strategic Leadership for Partners at Harvard University, Vevey, Switzerland. He has 39 years of experience in auditing and consulting, of which 24 years as an audit partner, being six at Arthur Andersen and 18 at Ernst Young (EY), having accumulated significant knowledge of US GAAP, IFRS and SOX in serving domestic and foreign clients from various industries. He led EY’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro during the 18 years of office. He is a former director and current member of the Brazilian Institute of Independent Auditors (IBRACON) in Rio de Janeiro and is currently an Effective Board Member to the Regional Accounting Council of Rio de Janeiro (CRCRJ). Additionally, he has served as Director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM).