Event: Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello, leading Brazilian businessman and chairman of the São Paulo-based ethanol giants Cosan and Raízen, will give a talk on energy security in the Americas. The talk is part of the “Faces of the Americas/Rostros de las Américas” series presented by the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) at The University of Texas at Austin.
When: 6 p.m., Oct. 20
Where: Harry Ransom Center, 21st and Guadalupe streets. A map is available online.
Background: Mello will talk about the future of sustainable energy in Brazil and its impact on the United States. A major voice in the creation of energy policy in Brazil, Mello is chairman of the Brazilian ethanol and sugar producer Cosan. He is also chairman of Raízen, a $12 billion joint venture formed last year between Cosan and Royal Dutch Shell, making it the world’s largest bioenergy company.
Mello holds a degree in mechanical production engineering from the Polytechnic School of the Universidade de São Paulo and has more than 30 years of experience in managing large companies.
The “Faces of the Americas” speaker series is sponsored by LLILAS and brings to Austin the liveliest voices from Latin America and the United States to discuss the latest in business and events in the region.
The event will begin with a coffee-tasting reception and classical guitar performance at 5 p.m. Mello will present his lecture at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
