Corporate high fliers meet sustainability challenges in Brazil

In September 2007, LEAD Brazil and LEAD International delivered a challenging and innovative leadership development programme designed to develop future leaders of a leading international bank.

The programme is aimed at up-and-coming executives, and participants come from a wide range of business areas within the corporation. Participants are late 20s - early 30s in age and are perceived as the likely leaders of the bank in 10 -15 years.

The programme has three phases and will run over a six month period. LEAD partnered with Future Considerations in the delivery of Phase One of the programme in Brazil in September 2007, and LEAD will play a similar role in the delivery of future programmes in India and Brazil in 2008.

Brazil - Phase One (23 - 29 September 2007)

A total of 110 people participated in this project including bank delegates and staff, LEAD Fellows and resource people. The first phase was a 5 day field project where participants were organised into 6 teams, and each team was “challenged” to act as business consultants and project managers to a specific small business/NGO project managed by a LEAD Fellow. For the participants in each team it was an opportunity to develop their leadership and business skills in a live business situation. Team challenges were focussed around six projects:

Sao Lourenco da Serra: A team worked with Vitae Civilis, an organisation chaired by Rubens Born, a LEAD Fellow and former LEAD Brazil Programme Director. The team was challenged to develop and create a more sustainable business and funding model for VC, allowing them to be financially self-sufficient and sustainable.
Cananeia: Another team was asked to provide advice to Associação Rede Cananéia (ARC - Cananéia’s network of local NGOs) on how best to create, develop, implement and operate a communal fund that will allow ARC to meet its objectives and be financially sustainable at least for the medium term (1-5 years).
Sao Jorge, Chapada dos Veadeiros: A third team was asked to assist the Tourist Guide Association (ACVCV) in reviewing the financial situation of the guides and the organisation and provided guidance on how guides could best develop their personal income, the future role of ACVCV and potential funding mechanisms for ACVCV.
Guaraquecaba: A fourth team worked with the local NGO, SPVS, to develop an action plan and recommendations on how to market the region and the co-operative member businesses and organizations to potential target markets. The team also created and developed a website for the Guaraqueçaba Ecotourism Cooperative, in order to advertise the member businesses, provide functionality for bookings, ratings and feedback, etc.
Ribeirao Preto: A fifth team worked with Fazenda Sao Luis to develop a case study on Agroforestry best practices, reviewed the financials behind the farms operations and developed guidelines that will allow the Brazilian Agroforestry Association to promote this practice among other stakeholders based on sound economic and financial facts.
Chapada dos Veadeiros: Vale Dourado is a private enterprise promoting sustainable tourism in the region. The sixth team worked with a LEAD Fellow to develop a business plan for this new business, incorporating sustainable tourism practices and identifying potential niche markets.

One participant from Hong Kong said “this experience was a life change for me, I now realize that it is possible to live in many different ways. I suspect that this trip will have a significant impact on me. I still can't realize in which way".

Release date: Monday, December 10, 2007