When Eduardo joined PwC Brazil back in 2005, his choice of employer had nothing to do with LGBT+ inclusion. Like most 22-year-olds fresh out of law school, he was simply looking for a good job to kick-start his career. And his interest in tax meant PwC Brazil was a great place to begin. The fact that he was gay didn’t even feature in his decision.
However, he didn’t wait long before coming out at work. After his first month with the firm, he and the rest of his 12-strong intake of new recruits travelled to a city near Rio de Janeiro for a training assignment. Eduardo invited his boyfriend to come along on the trip. Immediately, word spread like wildfire across the Rio office that Eduardo was gay.
The obvious question was: would anyone care? Eduardo soon found the answer was no. His initial concerns over his colleagues’ reaction were quickly dispelled by a wave of support and acceptance. Fast-forward to today, and Eduardo was the first openly gay partner among PwC Brazil’s 190-strong partnership. In the intervening years, he’s become an inspirational role model for gay and lesbian people across PwC Brazil and beyond. And as the founder of the Brazilian firm’s ground-breaking Out and Shine inclusive leadership development programme, he’s paving the way for a new generation of LGBT+ leaders.
“Being out of the closet in a work environment wasn’t common nineteen years ago when I joined PwC Brazil. It was my first job, and I didn’t know how people would react. But I quickly realised that my sexual orientation wouldn't impact my career at all, so I started to feel more and more comfortable in my own skin. This helped to shape me and gave me confidence, not just in a business environment, but in my personal life as well. Looking back, that’s when I really started to grow up and feel like an adult.”
Eduardo’s progression to PwC Brazil partner and LGBT+ role model has coincided with the rise of Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) as a powerful global movement. In 2011, PwC Brazil set up a committee to accelerate progress on I&D. Eduardo was invited to join – and as part of this role he began leading various gatherings and discussions focused on LGBT+ inclusion. After each event the response from colleagues was overwhelming, as people from across PwC Brazil thanked him for setting such a great example.
Eduardo’s journey of inclusion continued during a secondment to the UK between 2018 and 2021. In his three years there, he loved the fact that he never had to explain his sexual orientation. He was also impressed by the number of trans people working at PwC UK, and by the sensitive approach to the use of personal pronouns such as ‘they’ – advances that are now beginning to be echoed in PwC Brazil.
“There was a point in my career when I thought I couldn't go any further because I was gay. When I was at manager level, I looked above me and I could only see straight male partners. And as a gay guy I thought I’d never make it to partner. But I had a career coach who’s still my mentor today – and he told me: ‘Eduardo, if you don't have a role model to inspire you, become that role model for yourself. And if there aren’t any gay partners in PwC Brazil, aim to become the first one. You have the talent, and if you’re prepared to occupy this space, then it will be yours – and your sexual orientation won’t affect how far you go.’ Guess what – he was right!”
Soon after returning from the UK Eduardo became a partner in PwC Brazil. When the internal announcement of his appointment went out, the response from a female employee he’d never previously met provided a powerful affirmation of the importance of role modelling. After getting in touch for a chat, she told him she was a married lesbian who was delighted that he’d become a partner, because it meant there was no limit to what she could achieve too. In fact, she and her wife had celebrated his promotion with a bottle of champagne.
For Eduardo, this episode underlined the importance of supporting more LGBT+ people into leadership roles. While he’s happy with the proportion of LGBT+ people in PwC Brazil, he wants to help elevate more to senior levels. To help redress the balance, Eduardo followed up his elevation to the partnership by working with his team to set up the Out and Shine programme, dedicated to developing the careers of LGBT+ employees. Drawing on pioneering work by PwC Australia, Brazil’s Out and Shine has been a resounding success, with 60% of the first cohort achieving a promotion soon afterwards. Going forward, Eduardo aims to keep supporting LGBT+ representation at all levels in PwC Brazil – while also encouraging more PwC territories to set up similar programmes. (Please change the hyperlink for the Out and Shine programme to the new link which will be Diversity request 5 of 7 once the new profile is ready. .
Away from work, Eduardo loves cooking and travelling. His Portuguese heritage means he loves Portuguese cuisine, not least the dried and salted cod known as bacalhau. And his top travel destination? “Italy,” he says. “It’s my favourite place on earth.”
LIGHTNING ROUND: quick questions and quick answers
From your experience, how do you sum up Inclusion & Diversity at PwC?
Pluralism, intersectionality, belonging, and authenticity.
What should others know about PwC’s commitment to Inclusion & Diversity?
Creating solutions in a diverse world requires diverse minds. So having open doors to diverse talents where they can be themselves is the key to countless possibilities.
We are for all
Our focus on inclusion unlocks the power and potential of a diverse community of solvers
Fostering a space where LGBT+ solvers can shine
Our LGBT+ Inclusion driver for change
