Eric Santos
Senior Consultant, Brazil
A Brazilian Sugar & Ethanol (S&E) industry expert, Eric held executive positions at various sugar mills prior to joining the AMERRA team in 2015. Complementing his operational and technical skills, he also brings trading and risk management acumen to his deeply selective investment approach. Based in Brazil, Eric provides operational due diligence support to all transactions related to the S&E investment portfolio at AMERRA. Spending significant time on-site at AMERRA’s portfolio companies, Eric creates shareholder value in operations and risk management.
He actively monitors and benchmarks operational performance and negotiates investment terms with local management teams for new investments. Eric provides a myriad of services to AMERRA’s portfolio companies including advising on government and regulatory compliance and assisting with third-party cane supplier negotiations to ensure optimal terms. His vast experience and on-the-ground presence provide AMERRA with a market intelligence edge. In addition to origination and governance, Eric plays a key role in asset recovery when debt investments require restructuring. In one instance, he organized and led the sale of more than 700,000 tons of cane, allowing AMERRA to recover a substantial past due investment.
Prior to joining AMERRA, Eric worked for IF Consultants as an advisor in restructuring, acquisitions, derivatives, and fundraising. Additionally, Eric served as Director of S&E operations for the Infinity/Bertin Group and Export Manager at Copersucar S.A. responsible for sales to major refineries worldwide. Other roles include cellulose sales to China for Suzano Papel and Celulose and Risk Manager for Cosan S.A responsible for the commercial, risk and derivatives desk.
Eric holds a bachelors degree in business management from Toledo - Universidade Católica and a MBA from Universidade de São Paulo – FIA – Comércio Internacional.