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