Board of Directors and Leadership

Executive Director of Engineering, Technology, Planning, and Innovation

Civil Engineer from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), he has a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), and international training from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), and the STC Program at Kellogg, in partnership with Fundação Dom Cabral. With more than 17 years of experience, he has worked with renowned companies such as Vale before joining VLI. He has been part of VLI for over a decade, in roles including General Manager of Operations and Executive Director of Operations. In January 2025, he took on the role of Executive Director of Planning and Engineering.

Executive Director of Operations Graduated in Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP), he has obtained an MBA in Administration, Business, and Marketing from Fundação Dom Cabral and completed the Advanced Management Program in Administration, Business, and Marketing at Columbia Business School. For more than 10 years, he has been part of VLI, where he has worked in operational roles, including General Manager of Railways, Director of Ports and Terminals, and Executive Director of Planning and Engineering. In January 2025, he took on the role of Executive Director of Operations

Executive Director of Legal and GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance)

Graduated in Law from Camilo Castelo Branco University (UNICASTELO), with an MBA – L.L.M in Financial and Capital Markets from Insper and a Postgraduate degree in Corporate Law from Mackenzie. For the past 10 years, she has been at VLI, acting in the areas of legal, governance, ethics, and compliance. She is a professional with 18 years of experience in the areas of Legal, Corporate Governance, Financial and Capital Markets, Corporate Law, Ethics and Compliance, Risk, and Internal Controls. She has a distinguished career in M&A projects, corporate reorganizations, debt issuance, legal and regulatory representation for executives, department structuring, ethics and compliance programs, collaboration with public authorities, and providing senior management with legal guidance, all while maintaining an active role in governance initiatives.

Executive Director of People, Sustainability, and Services

Rute Araújo has a degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Mackenzie (SP), with an MBA and specializations from FGV, IMD, and Kellogg, as well as ESG training from Saint Paul Escola de Negócios. She has extensive experience in Human Resources, having worked at multinational companies such as Ambev and Whirlpool. She has been with VLI for over 10 years and played a leading role in establishing VLI University. From 2016 to 2020, she was the Executive Director of People, Services, Supply Chain, and IT. Since 2020, she has taken on the role of Executive Director of People, Innovation, and Sustainability, overseeing key areas such as Human Resources, Health, Safety, Environment, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Management, Communication, Institutional Relations, and Sustainability. She acts as the sponsor of VLI’s commitment to the Equity is Priority initiative, aligned with the UN’s gender equality goals[2] , and is actively involved in the Infra Women Brazil (IWB) Movement. In 2021, she was named Communicator of the Year by Aberje.

Executive Director of Commercial, Projects, and Strategic Planning

Graduated in Economics and Business Administration from University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, she has a Master’s degree in Economics from the same institution. She has extensive experience in the commercial sector, having worked for companies such as Archer Daniels Midland, where she started her career, Noble Group, and COFCO International, where she spent 10 years. At COFCO International, she worked in various positions, including Director of Processing Assets and Commercial and Strategy Director in Brazil. She has been with VLI for over 2 years as Executive Director of Commercial Affairs.

Director of Operations – Southeast Corridor
A Mechanical Engineer from the Federal University of Espírito Santo, he holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Fucape Business School and an MBA from Fundação Dom Cabral and Getulio Vargas Foundation. He has been with VLI for over a decade, starting his journey as a Rail Operations Manager. He worked in Engineering with a focus on maintenance planning, served in the Operations Control Center (OCC), and has been acting as General Manager of Railway Operations in the Southeast Corridor since 2021. In 2024, he took over the role of Director of Southeast Corridor Operations.

Director of Operations – East Corridor

A civil engineer graduated from the Federal University of Santa Maria, with an Executive MBA from Fundação Dom Cabral, has dedicated more than two decades to logistics, operations, and managing projects. His career includes leadership roles at major companies such as ALL and Vale. With more than a decade at VLI, he has held positions such as General Manager of Capital Projects, General Manager of Multimodal Terminals in the Central-Eastern Corridor, and was also responsible for overseeing railway operations and maintenance in the states of Tocantins and Maranhão.

Director of Operations – North Corridor

César Toniolo is an electrical engineer with a postgraduate degree in Railway Engineering and an Executive MBA. He has been working in VLI since 2012, when he started work in the Permanent Way (track infrastructure) area. Over his career, he led port operations in Brazil’s Southeast, implemented VLI’s Management Model, and more recently led engineering and technology innovation initiatives aimed at operational excellence and supporting the company’s business plan. He currently serves on the leadership team of the North Corridor, with a focus on safety, efficiency, and customer service, contributing to deliver budgeted volume targets and reinforce the culture of performance, collaboration, and innovation.

Administrative Director

Production engineer graduated from the Federal University of Minas Gerais with an MBA from Fundação Dom Cabral. He has been with VLI for over 10 years and has held positions such as Account Manager, Planning Manager, and Logistics Contracts Manager. In 2016, he became the General Manager of Controllership, and since 2023, he is in charge of the General Management of Financial Planning, Treasury, and Investor Relations. In 2024, he assumed the position of Administrative Director.

Director of Projects and Strategic Planning

He holds a degree in Administration from Fundação Dom Cabral and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. He has been with VLI for over 10 years and worked as Business Development Manager. He was General Manager of Controllership, Financial Planning, and Shareholder Relations, in addition to being General Manager of Strategy. Since 2023, he has been responsible for leading the Commercial Intelligence sector. Starting in 2024, he has taken on the position of Director of Projects and Strategic Planning.