On Monday, August 19, businessman Luiz Césio Caetano was elected president of the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan) for a four-year term, until 2028. The new board will be inaugurated on October 14. Luiz Caetano, 74, is currently the 1st Vice President of Firjan and has been active in the Rio de Janeiro industry for 50 years. Since 2023, he has also served as a director at the National Confederation of Industry (CNI).

"I have been working at Firjan for 29 years. What I have observed over these years is that the institution has become much more relevant, and the challenges have grown significantly. The federation has long exceeded the borders of Rio de Janeiro and is known throughout the country. It is a renowned institution that is sought after for the credibility of the topics it addresses and studies. It is an honor and a great responsibility to keep the federation in this place of relevance to society and as a driver of innovation for our industrial base," he said.

Caetano also expressed gratitude for the trust of the business community: "This is a sign that we are on the right track to building a more favorable business environment for the industry in Rio de Janeiro."

A mechanical engineer graduated from UFRJ, Luiz Césio Caetano is the Corporate Director and shareholder of Sal Cisne, a company he has been dedicated to for over 40 years. Since 1997, he has presided over the Salt Refining and Milling Union (Sindisal). Until 2021, he served as the president of the Regional Council of Firjan Leste Fluminense.

At Firjan, he chaired the Industrial Policy Working Group, which developed the document "Firjan Agenda of Proposals for a Brazil 4.0," containing public policy proposals that were presented to Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and various state ministers.

He participated in discussions with Governor Cláudio Castro on Tax Reform and its impact on the state of Rio de Janeiro. He led the group that developed the Firjan_PEQ project—Firjan for Small Businesses. At CNI, he is also vice president of the Thematic Council for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and participates in the Working Group to Combat Illegal Brazil, which seeks to propose solutions to curb crimes that harm the economy.

According to Eduardo Eugenio Gouvêa Vieira, president of Firjan, "Caetano is one of the most competent business leaders we have. He is tireless in advocating for the industry and has extensive knowledge of the sector's landscape in the state of Rio de Janeiro, which will certainly contribute to further strengthening the federation's role in business representation."

Profile of Luiz Césio Caetano

Businessman Luiz Césio Caetano will assume the presidency of Firjan and CIRJ (Industrial Center of Rio de Janeiro) on October 14, the day of the inauguration of the new boards elected for the 2024-2028 term.

His involvement with the federation began in 1995 when he joined the Regional Council of Leste Fluminense following Sal Cisne's association with CIRJ. In 1997, as president of Sindisal, he joined the federation's Superior Council of Representatives.

"At the beginning of the 2000s, Eduardo Eugenio (Firjan president) invited me to join the board, and I started as an alternate director. Over the years, I became a director, secretary director, treasurer director, and finally vice president. I went through all the stages that an industrial leader can go through. And I became increasingly engaged in advocating for actions to promote the development of the industry in the Região dos Lagos, the salt industry, and companies across the state of Rio de Janeiro," Caetano recounted in an interview with Firjan's Industry Memory Project.

Decorated with the Industrial Merit Medal in 2007, Caetano served as president of the Regional Council of Leste Fluminense in Niterói from 2005 to 2021. From 2016 to 2020, he chaired Firjan's Social Responsibility Business Council.

Background

Born in Campos dos Goytacazes, in the North of Rio de Janeiro, in November 1949, he is the third child in a family of two sisters and a younger brother. He has also lived in the interior of São Paulo, the United States, Cabo Frio (Região dos Lagos), Rio de Janeiro, and Niterói.

In 1970, he started as an intern at Sal Cisne. He developed his career in other industries and, in 1984, was invited to return and assume the position of Industrial Director at Sal Cisne. In this role, he worked on the factory floor until 2000 when he transitioned to the corporate management of the company, balancing his business activities with the advocacy of the development of the Rio de Janeiro industry through Firjan.

Married, Luiz Caetano has two children and two grandchildren.

Full Board

Luiz Caetano will have Carlos Erane de Aguiar as the 1st Vice President and Henrique Antônio Nora Oliveira Lima as the 2nd Vice President. Here is the complete composition of the new board:

FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIES OF THE STATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO

FULL BOARD COMPOSITION FIRJAN – 2024-2028 TERM

COMPOSITION OF FIRJAN'S FISCAL COUNCIL 2024-2028

DELEGATES REPRESENTING FIRJAN AT THE NATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF INDUSTRY (CNI) 2024-2028