Issue nº137
Editorial
Dear reader,
Since its inception over six decades ago, people development has been one of the Odebrecht Group’s core values. The process of integrating individuals into the Group, grooming them and fostering their ongoing development is the basis of Odebrecht’s entire entrepreneurial practice. One demonstration of this, featured in this issue of Odebrecht Informa, comes from Angola, where the Group arrived in 1984. There, Odebrecht is carrying out people development programs for members working in all areas on over 30 projects currently underway in that African nation. However, these initiatives go beyond Angola. In Brazil, more specifically the city of Salvador, Bahia, a group of 10 young Angolans are studying Engineering and Architecture through a partnership between Odebrecht and Angola’s Ministry of Public Works. Once they graduate, they will all be invited to join Odebrecht’s teams.
The only way to ensure that future challenges are tackled and overcome is by integrating and grooming talented, knowledgeable people who are motivated to grow, and capable of leadership, accomplishment, and transforming themselves and their realities. Two other watershed events are also featured in this issue of Odebrecht Informa: the completion of the process of consolidating Copesul and Ipiranga Petroquímica under Braskem, and breaking ground for one of the most important hydropower projects in the history of Brazil – the Santo Antônio hydroelectric plant on the Madeira River in the state of Rondônia. At the same time, through a varied range of milestones and accomplishments, the Group is demonstrating that a company is much more than an agglomeration of assets – it is a group of human beings who are capable of self-development and endowed with the spirit of service.
In this issue’s interview, Vera Gaspar, a member of Construtora Norberto Odebrecht’s Planning and People Development team, observes: “TEO is a philosophy of life. It deals with universal values, and people around the world want similar things: they want to grow and be recognized, respected and creative. People from a wide range of backgrounds have no difficulty taking part in our programs. Our aim is to create a movement in which everyone is encouraged to develop themselves, and disseminate that movement throughout the organization.”