Full Name: Paulo Roberto Castellari Porchia

Position and Company Name: CEO of Appian Brazil (Mineracao Vale Verde and Atlantic Nickel)

Main Activity of the Company: Mining and processing metals

Date and Place of Birth: Santo Andre, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1970

Education: BSc (business commerce, Fundacao Getulio Vargas, Sao Paulo, Brazil; MBA, London Business School

First Job: Middle school teacher, in 1986, but first job in the ‘business world’ was in 1992 as a credit analyst at Chase Manhattan Bank, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Size of First Pay Packet: My yearly pay was the equivalent of ‘half of a VW Golf’ at the time

Career Path to Date: I spent three years with Chase Manhattan, 21 years with Anglo American and three years with Emirates Global Aluminium, before joining Appian Capital in August 2019

Number of People under Your Leadership: Our assets under management in Brazil will directly employ about 2 000 people, including contractors

Management Style: I work hard to create an environment where people feel valued and are able to create and learn

Personal Best Achievement: Personally, being able to support my daughter in her studies; professionally, to have supported a number of members of my team to take more senior jobs, with several now CEOs

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My father

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: I had several fantastic bosses at Anglo American

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Nelson Mandela and The Simpsons creator Matt Groening

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Steve Wozniak

Philosophy of Life: Treat people the way you want them to treat you

Biggest Ever Opportunity: In 2011, Cynthia Carroll gave me the opportunity to run Minas Rio, in Brazil

Biggest Ever Disappointment: I cannot remember any (other than the 3-2 Italy-Brazil match at the 1982 soccer World Cup)

Hope for the Future: Positive change in Brazil

Favourite Reading: History

Favourite TV Programme: Socially charged TV programmes

Favourite Food/Drink: I love experimenting with food, so there is really no favourite

Favourite Music: I love all kinds of music, but 70s and 80s dance music brings great memories

Favourite Sport: Football and volleyball

Hobbies: Music

Car: VW Up

Pets: Dogs and cats

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Backseat drivers and people who only see the glass ‘half empty’

Married: To Leticia

Children: Isabella, 22

Clubs: Clube Atletico Mineiro