Patricia Ellen da Silva is the former São Paulo Secretary of Economic Development, Science and Technology. She is appointed as a Partner with a mandate to accelerate our growth and help transform Brazil into a green innovative power.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Patricia Ellen da Silva as Partner and the Head of our Brazil office, strengthening our global Partner team and offering in Latin America and beyond.
Patricia joins us from the São Paulo state government, where she was Secretary of Economic Development, Science and Technology from 2018 until 2022, managing the largest budget among the state departments. During her time in government, the São Paulo economy grew five times faster than the Brazilian average. The state concluded three of the biggest carbon-neutral private investments in the country’s history and launched the innovation sustainability program Amazonia +10 at COP 26, a fund with seed money of R$100 million to invest in research in the Amazonia Legal region. Patricia also led São Paulo’s Covid-19 crisis taskforce.
Patricia will focus on positioning Brazil as a green, human and innovative force. She will lead our team based in São Paulo who work with corporates, financial institutions, foundations and governments to deliver lasting change to economic systems. In so doing, she will significantly increase our Brazil operations as well as joining a 16-strong global partner team, bringing to bear her experience to help solve some of the world’s biggest challenges.
Managing Partners Taraneh Azad and Guido Schmidt-Traub said: “We are thrilled that Patricia is joining Systemiq. She is a tremendously accomplished leader in Brazil and globally with a deep passion for leading system change and a strong track record of building highly diverse teams. She joins us at a critical time for Brazil and the world when we need to decisively shift toward sustainable pathways by mobilising all parts of society. Patricia is the right person at Systemiq to drive the transformation towards new economic models that lead to fairer and more equal societies in Brazil and beyond.”
Before joining government, Patricia was president of Optum, a health technology company, and worked for McKinsey for 18 years where she was among the youngest-ever partners. She is a professor of Leadership and Digital Innovation and was nominated Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum in 2016.
”“I have huge admiration for Systemiq´s impact and innovative approach to tackle complex problems, and I’m excited to be part of a team with such a clear mission as well as strengthen our local team in Brazil and Latin America. Accelerating the transition to a net-zero carbon economy and the delivery of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals is both vital and urgent, and I believe that Systemiq’s team is uniquely placed to accomplish it.
Patricia Ellen Da SilvaPartner and Head of Brazil Office
