São Paulo – The scene is uncommon. But every morning the man walking into the Business Development department at Maaden, a mining company that is among the largest companies in Saudi Arabia, and sitting in the main chair is a Portuguese speaker. Despite being some oceans and many miles away from South America, the Saudi company hired a Brazilian to operate in the release of new products, seek new business, discuss joint ventures and plan the company’s future. His name is Pedro Bottesi Neto, and he is originally from Campinas, in the interior of the state of São Paulo.
"It was my curriculum and my career as a whole," said Bottesi, explaining, in a telephone interview to ANBA, the reasons for his hiring. The executive is 50 years old, graduated in Geology from the São Paulo State University (Unesp) and has already worked in several multinational companies. But one of the heaviest facts, he believes, causing him to be invited to work with the Saudis – known worldwide for their economic power – was the combination of his technical knowledge with his administrative and commercial talent, mainly in the area of mining. The Brazilian is the director for the area of industrial ores.
Bottesi has been in Saudi Arabia for almost two years. He moved there from London, England, where he lived for one year and seven months, due to the new job. Despite women being fully covered in the Arab country and the consumption of alcohol and pork being prohibited, when he is at work, the Brazilian does not feel that he is in a different and culturally so different land than his. "Maaden is very similar to any other company in the West. There are many expatriates," he explained.
Maaden operates in the mining and sale of aluminium, phosphates, gold and industrial ores and has mixed capital. The company control is in the hands of the Saudi government, but the organisation is also traded on the stock markets. Operations are entirely concentrated in Saudi Arabia, but Maaden also exports, and within the company walls, the language spoken is English. “Even when there are several Saudis in a meeting, they speak English for others to understand," explained Bottesi.
Bottesi is married and has two children, but he moved to Saudi Arabia alone. His family stayed in Brazil, as both his kids are at university age. While he was living in London, his family also stayed in Brazil. His wife, for the time being, is taking care of their kids, but it is possible that when they become more independent, she may go and live with her husband. In the mean time, the executive’s life is working, going to shopping centres, restaurants, interacting with other foreigners who live in the country and travelling when time is available.
But the Brazilian is very pleased with living surrounded by the desert and says that he has no plans for moving out of Saudi Arabia in the short term. Developing an international career, in fact, was always in Bottesi’s plans. Apart from his graduate degree at Unesp, the executive also attended a training program at London Business School. His curriculum includes a stint at Samsung, in London, as the Business Development manager in the mining sector, as well as positions at Netzsch, Imerys, ECC International and International Paper, in Brazil. Botessi has also had his own company, which he sold several years ago, and has operated as a consultant.
*Translated by Mark Ament
