Wilson Lourenço da Rosa joined Advent in 2007 and is a Managing Director in São Paulo. He advises on investments in the consumer sector. Wilson has advised on 13 investments during his career, 12 while at Advent.
Prior to joining Advent, Wilson spent four years with McKinsey & Company in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where he focused on strategy, corporate governance, and organization and operations projects for major Latin American companies in different industries, including consumer goods, media, and utilities. He also worked for Vivo, the main cell phone operator in Brazil, as a strategy and business development manager, where he was responsible for mergers and acquisitions.
Wilson holds a BSc in Aeronautical Infrastructure Engineering, summa cum laude, from Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
How do you identify the companies that would interest Advent?
Mainly talking to people. I try to meet at least one new company per week and, in those meetings, we talk about their specific sector. And that’s how we start to build an opinion about “who is who” in each segment. Through this process we have a very complete list of ideal companies that we would love to partner with.
What would you like portfolio companies to say about the experience of working with Advent?
I’d like them to say Advent is trustworthy, and that what we do what we say. When we agree that something is going to happen, that’s good enough – you don’t need to look at the contracts. I think they’d tell you that we work together very closely in making the investment thesis become a reality. And I think they’d say that we can be very intense. Advent is detail-oriented and not afraid to have tough conversations. And the good news is that we have people on our company boards who have worked with us for 15 years or more, and are on their second or third investment.
“We’re always trying to learn from the people we work with. That’s how we make the best investment decisions.”
Wilson Rosa
Managing Director, Advent
What advice would you give a new hire at Advent?
Big egos don’t survive here. I don’t recall a successful Advent partner with that sort of character, and that’s held true for a long time. I remember early in my days here, when Steve Tadler – an amazing guy – was a Managing Partner in Boston. An Operating Partner asked him what made Advent different. And his answer wasn’t about how great we were at negotiating deals or adding value, but that we were a humble team. We’re never convinced we know best, and we’re always trying to learn from the people we work with. That’s how we make the best investment decisions.
What do you find most stimulating and satisfying about your job?
Three things stand out. The satisfaction that comes from selling a better company than the one Advent acquired. Secondly, I like to see the development of my team, of seeing people grow together with us – following someone’s rise from a VP to a Director and then Managing Director, over 15 years. The third thing is when Advent buys a company. Being the ones chosen to acquire a well-known name is a great source of satisfaction.
What do you do to keep yourself busy outside work?
I really enjoy cycling. I make sure I wake up early to go out and do it, otherwise my family wouldn’t see much of me. I have three kids between 11 and 13 years old, and we ride bicycles together – and I love to play basketball and soccer with them.
