Alexandre Birman, Person of the Year, Recommits to Rebuilding Rio Grande do Sul

Alexandre Birman, CEO and CCO of Arezzo&Co, once again stressed the importance of rebuilding Rio Grande do Sul, with a focus on the footwear sector, as he accepted the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 “Person of the Year” award.

Editor’s note: this piece was written in May 2024, shortly after the floods in southern Brazil.

R$10 Million in Three Days

The movement, launched by Birman in partnership with Abicalçados and the footwear industry on Monday the 13th, had already raised an impressive R$10 million in just three days. The initiative now aims to double that amount, with the goal of rebuilding homes affected by the disaster.

“At this moment I feel an ambiguity: the joy of the award and the commitment to rebuilding our state,” Birman told an audience of more than a thousand business leaders. Among the cities benefiting from the fund are Campo Bom, Igrejinha, Novo Hamburgo, Parobé, Roca Sales, Rolante and Três Coroas. The ceremony was attended by executives, bank presidents, officials and Alexandre’s family.

At this moment I feel an ambiguity: the joy of the award and the commitment to rebuilding our state.

Alexandre Birman

Governor Eduardo Leite sent a video that was shown during the dinner, congratulating the honoree and thanking him for the movement in support of the state. In his speech, Alexandre emphasised the importance of solidarity and joint action to strengthen both the state and the Brazilian economy.

A night meant for celebration became a call to action. Alexandre Birman went to collect an award and left with a larger ambition: to double what the industry had raised in three days and put roofs back over the families of Rio Grande do Sul.

WAYFARER