After about a year of suspended activities, the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Rio Grande do Sul is back in operation with new leadership and a renewed commitment to strengthening economic relations between Italy and the Brazilian state, where 40 per cent of the population is of Italian origin.
On 17 February, during an extraordinary meeting held at the Hotel Deville in Porto Alegre, members elected the new Board of Directors for the three-year period 2025-2028. Leading this new phase will be the Italo-Brazilian entrepreneur Erasmo Battistella, founder of Be8 and a leading figure in the biogas sector, who was appointed president of the entity. Alongside him, two of the most successful Italian-Brazilian entrepreneurs on the state's economic scene have been elected as vice-presidents: Neco Argenta, leader of Rede Posto Sim, and Gelson Castellan, at the helm of Florense Moveis, one of the most prestigious companies in the high-end furniture sector.
The Consul General of Italy in Porto Alegre, Valerio Caruso, stressed the importance of the reactivation of the Chamber and the strategic value of this new phase. "It is a great success of commercial diplomacy. We have a board of directors made up of some of the greatest Italian-Brazilian representatives and the project is ambitious,' said the Consul General.
With this new governance, the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Rio Grande do Sul aims to strengthen ties between local companies and the Italian market, promoting opportunities for exchange and cooperation for bilateral economic development.
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