Anne Nemer (Moderator), Assistant Dean for Executive Degree Programs, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business

Bruno Hoepers (Panelist), PhD candidate, Political Science, 2010 Latin American Social and Public Policy Fellowship Recipient

Giancarlo Pereira (Panelist), Coordinator of Production Engineering Program and Professor, Engineering and Technology, Mackenzie University, Sao Paulo, Brazil

On Sunday, October 31, 2010, Brazil elected its first woman president¿¿'Dilma Rousseff, an economist and the daughter of a Bulgarian immigrant. With her ascension to the Brazilian presidency on January 1 2011, Rousseff will become one of the worlds most powerful women. In 2003, Rousseff became President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas minister of energy and mines and, in 2005, his chief of staff.

From her charismatic predecessor, she inherits political stability combined with sustainable economic growth (Brazil has emerged as the worlds eighth-largest economy and is positioned as an economically and politically stabilizing force in Latin America). Of particular interest, Brazil has benefited from the discovery of rich offshore oil and gas reserves now under development and has Latin Americas second-largest petroleum reserves, behind only Venezuela. Thus, there are important strategic connections to be made between the US and Brazil in the energy area.

The panel will discuss the recent elections in Brazil and its implications, as well as the energy sector.

Pizza & Refreshments will be provided