Nota Fiscal Paulista já recebeu 100 mil queixas dos consumidores
2 de setembro de 2010Supremo reconhece repercussão geral em processos que envolvem tributos
13 de setembro de 2010He’s 40, has no restaurant experience and made his name keeping trains running on time in Brazil. Bernardo Hees may seem an unlikely new CEO for Burger King, but he’s on his way to Miami to launch a new campaign in the global fast-food wars.
The move captures the sea change in store at Burger King’s Blue Lagoon headquarters as one of the best-known restaurant brands in the United States gets set for a Brazilian makeover.
Like most major U.S. companies, Burger King must look abroad for growth as American consumers cut back on Whoppers and other indulgences during hard economic times. Enter 3G, which is enjoying the windfall of Brazil’s booming economy and has money to spend.
It could be the first wave in a flood of real-based acquisitions.
“It is probably going to become more normal to see Brazilians taking important roles in the global economy,” said Eugenio Alemán, a senior economist for Wells Fargo Securities who follows Brazil. “Brazil is becoming kind of the nucleus of growth with South America. All of the rest of the Latin American economies are doing well because they’re selling to Brazil.”
As the current CEO of Brazilian railroad giant America Latina Logistica, Hees is a major star at 3G Capital, the Brazilian-backed hedge fund that owns a stake in the railroad and last week signed a deal to buy Miami-based Burger King Holdings for $4 billion.
Hees has enjoyed a storied career in Brazil, rising quickly through the ranks at the upstart railroad company. “That was essentially his first job,” said Sandro Andrade, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Miami. “It’s amazing.”
Hees joined ALL in 1998 as an entry-level analyst, but was chief operating officer by 2003 and got a promotion to chief executive in 2005.
In a statement, 3G managing partner Alexandre Behring praised Hees and singled out his acumen for boosting revenue as well as profits — corporate-speak for keeping down costs.
“Bernardo is an experienced executive with an impressive track record of enhancing performance at ALL where he managed a team that drove strong gains in both revenues and profitability,” wrote Behring, a one-time ALL CEO who will become co-chairman ofBurger King when the deal closes.
A 3G spokeswoman declined interview requests for Hees on Thursday because the acquisition still needs to be completed. Burger King Holdings stock moved up one cent after the announcement, finishing the day at $23.68.
Though he replaces another young CEO — current Burger King chief John Chidsey, 48, will become co-chairman — Hees would have little in common with his main foe: McDonald’s CEO James Skinner.
The 65-year-old was flipping McDonald’s burgers as a young man in 1962 and, after 10 years in the U.S. Navy, worked his way up the corporate ladder until winning the top job in 2004. He has been with the company for 38 years.
