Having been to the U.S. many times in his life, and even lived there for a while, he was eager to educate us about the differences between the way business is done in the States and Brazil, and how relations can be improved in the future.
Today was our first full day in the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro. We began with a delicious complimentary breakfast at the hotel, then quickly boarded the bus to head to our first stop - Deloitte. Rakel (pronounced "ha-KELL"), one of our Austral guides, pointed out many sights along the way.
First we passed Copacabana, with its lively beach on the right side and a mix of modern and elegant buildings on the left. Next was a perfect view of Sugarloaf Mountain, which, she informed us, had earned its name in the 16th century, when Brazil exported sugar cane to Europe in molded cones similar in shape to the mountain.
Before long, we had arrived in downtown Rio at the building where Deloitte is housed. We were immediately treated to a spectacular view of Guanabara Bay, where we watched the fog lift and planes land at the local airport below until time to gather in the boardroom.
Unfortunately, because of the fog, our speaker was delayed in his arrival to Rio from Sao Paolo. On the bright side, that meant that we got an introduction to Deloitte from Patricia, an employee from the marketing department. She entertained our group with her enthusiasm and broken – but still impressive – English, as we learned about Deloitte's five departments in Brazil, as well as its recruiting and training processes.
Soon, our speaker arrived: Paulo Fernando Melo, Director of International Tax. Having been to the U.S. many times in his life, and even lived there for a while, he was eager to educate us about the differences between the way business is done in the States and Brazil, and how relations can be improved in the future. He also gave us valuable insight into the typical Brazilian individual, discussing things like their nature, work ethic, and decision-making processes.
Using the minimal time we had for lunch, Raquel and Gabriella led us to Confeitaria Colombo, a grand, European-style café that first opened in 1894. It was beautiful, with massive framed mirrors, a balconied second floor, and a stained glass skylight.
Next, we quickly made our way over to GE Oil & Gas, where we spent the afternoon learning about GE's role in the Brazilian energy industry. Rather than produce the hydrocarbons themselves, GE supplies equipment and machinery to companies that do. We ended our GE Oil & Gas experience with a trip around the office floor, marveling every step of the way about the fantastic views of the city.
Our last stop before driving back to the hotel was the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian across the street. The building's unique conical shape had already intrigued us from the outside, but the inside was equally impressive, with stained glass windows running floor-to-ceiling down four sides of the cathedral.
Day two of Rawls Business Leaders' South American adventures was equal parts informative and interesting. Tomorrow, we look forward to a day of sightseeing and exploring the city!