Trends and next steps of the Chamber in the words of its president

Lawyer Paulo Perrotti likes to understand how companies work and how Law can help them work better, getting the best results. “I prepared myself for that. That’s why I have such a diversified background”, says CCBC’s president, who holds a post-graduate degree in Business Administration, specializing in Information Technology and Market Finance Law.

 

Perrotti invests much of his time in studying new business development and business design. He likes and values collaborative work and is not afraid to make decisions. “The past is important, but the future is up to us to write the way we want”, he says. And it is about this future of the Chamber and the Brazil-Canada relationship that he talked to the CCBC Newsletter team.

Why does Canada offer an excellent opportunity for Brazil and Brazil as an excellent opportunity for Canadians?

In addition to the cultural similarity, since Brazil and Canada are Western countries, with balanced, coherent and well known legal characteristics by both – which makes the entrepreneur of each country much more comfortable doing business – we live in 2019 a year of optimism in the bilateral relationship, which could culminate in the conclusion of the free-trade agreement between Mercosur (led by Brazil) and Canada. Each year, the relationship between countries develops in a consistent and profitable way.

How does the institution identify the best way to meet the demands of this relationship, its members and society?

The sector commissions are our major sources of research. Therefore, we encourage the associate to act more and more effectively in our committees, as they guide us in relation to the demands of the market and guide which products and services we must develop [reference to commissions such as Foreign Trade, Diversity, Mining, among others]

Is there any area that the CCBC has dedicated or will devote special attention to in 2019?

All areas will receive attention, but one area that fascinates me is innovation, since it is possible to apply it in any market. We will also focus on integration among the CCBC associates and collaborators, and an example is the expansion of our facilities at Vila Olímpia, inspired by collaborative trends. The office we open in Canada, in turn, will be of fundamental importance to provide logistical support to our international actions.

What is the meaning of innovation in the CCBC?

Our associate wants to do business. After all, we’re in a Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of innovation is to make it satisfied, with a roll of products and solutions that enable them to conduct business. We are in full implementation of a new management system of administration of our associates, which is the CRM project. With this, we will seek to increase the synergy between companies and the market, from a better service, increasingly customized.

Any projects you would highlight for this year?

We will deploy a mentoring module on the Connection Bureau platform. We have, with our associates, professionals with a high level of knowledge, who would like to collaborate and help startups to develop their business more efficiently, quickly and profitably, not only in Brazil but also in Canada. The idea is to develop new markets, always with an eye towards internationalization, using the two countries as springboards for the world. With this, we play an extremely important role in entrepreneurship.

Is there a theme on which the Chamber is consolidated and you would like to talk more now?

We can further explore the theme “tourism”, segmented in a specific market. And we’re not just talking about entertainment tourism. We have a vast field to explore specific segments. See that the main destination of the Brazilian student seeking exchange is Canada. For those who do not know, there is an important gastronomic route in Quebec. In Brazil, we have business tourism in São Paulo and, for those who want to rest, the beaches of the Northeast. Not that tourism has never been a focus, since the CCBC already organizes various business missions to Canada.

How do you evaluate what the CCBC won in 2018 and what are the expectations for 2019?

2018 was a year of the strategy of protagonism, with projects of repercussion in the most diverse pillars of the traditional and creative economy, in areas such as technology, sustainability, diversity, mining, legal, foreign trade, health innovation, infrastructure, culture and education. In addition, we are implementing metrics to measure our actions. The expectation for 2019 is performance. Once we reach and consolidate CCBC’s market leadership, and with all the instruments we are developing and implementing, we will accomplish much more, more efficiently.

What is the CCBC’s differential for other chambers of commerce?

You are aware that trade is not just about bilateral import and export trade activities. The CCBC goes far beyond that. We believe in creative, collaborative, open, free and unrestricted economics. Diversity is something that is part of the DNA of both the Canadian people and the Brazilian people.