The president of the Brazilian Association of Air Conditioning and Ventilation, Abrava, is one of the most outstanding professionals in the CVACR sector in Brazil. His work in the unions and at the head of his own company have earned him the recognition of his colleagues and the new generations who take him as an example.
by Vanesa Restrepo B.
When you first step on Febrava, the most important fair of the ACR sector in Brazil, one of the most recurrent images in the aisles is that of a man often, with a big smile, who goes from one side of the fair to the other, talking to the coordinators, exhibitors, the press and buyers. This is Samoel Vieira de Souza, one of the most recognized personalities in the Brazilian air conditioning and ventilation industry, who with 38 years of work in different companies has also become the visible head of the industry.
From the beginning of his career, Vieira joined the Brazilian Association of Air Conditioning and Ventilation, Abrava, because, as he himself says, he always believed in the importance of training and association as one of the keys to success in the sector. "I always believed in the 'technical way' and I understand that the path to success is that, that it is necessary to invest in material, technical and professional training."
After several years of uninterrupted work, he was appointed as president of Abrava, although this is not the only union to which Samoel belongs. He is also part of other associations such as Smacna, ISPE and ASHRAE, in all of which he has held management positions.
Remembering the beginnings
The year was 1972 and Samoel Vieira was advancing in his engineering studies at Mackenzie University. It was then that one of his colleagues invited him to work at the company Luwa Climatécnia, a subsidiary of a Swiss company, to be in charge of the coordination of a clean room work for the first cathode ray tube factory for color televisions that would be implemented in Brazil.
Immediately Samoel accepted the invitation and from there began to carve the path that led him to found, in 1996, his own company: CACR Engenharia e Instalações Ltda. The path was full of experiences including the position of engineering manager at Luwa Climatécnia; sales and engineering manager and marketing director at Midland Ross; partner of Krieger Metalúrgica and founder of CACR Sistemas Térmicas.
From these experiences, Samoel has accumulated lessons that have been processed to his collaborators in the association, and to the workers of his company. However, when asked about the experience that has left more teachings in his career, doubts come: "There are many moments that have marked me, and the fact of being president of the leading organization in a sector that has advanced technology, which develops every day and contributes to the management of new processes to improve the quality of life is already a source of pride for me and, from there, everything deserves to be highlighted", says our Professional of the month.
Time for everything
Being part of many projects at once is no excuse for Samoel Vieira to spend his days locked in an office. In fact, his work as president of Abrava, as well as that of all his colleagues on the Board of Directors and National Departments, is voluntary.
"We are elected by the associates for a three-year term. I work at CACR Engenharia e Instalações Ltda. and I review matters in Abrava every Tuesday, although I maintain an intense exchange of emails every day. We also have a meeting of the Board of Directors every first Thursday of the month, and I participate in many national and international meetings that also demand that I allocate a good part of my agenda to fulfill these associative and social commitments, "says Samoel while explaining that he has an active agenda.
The time he has left between a trip, a meeting and a business appointment is spent sharing with his family, made up of his wife Mércia, their four children: Jane, Samer, Cintia and Carla, all of them married; and his three grandchildren: Rafael, nine; Ana Beatris, eight; and Carolina, seven. "We try to spend as much time together as possible. Our house in Valinhos, Sao Paulo, is always full on weekends."
The entire Vieira de Souza family shares a common taste: wine, for that reason one of the main family activities consists of sharing good dinners, tasting wines, and even visiting the vineyards and wineries of the main wine companies in southern Brazil, and even neighboring countries such as Argentina and Chile.
With faith in the future
When you ask our Professional of the Month about the future of the CVACR industry, there are several elements that come up. The World Cup and the Olympic Games are two of the events that hint at the progress that is coming in the coming years. "These events will require new sports facilities, new airports, new infrastructures that, as communicating arteries, will extend the resources available for these projects along all roads, raising the levels of people, generating new jobs for people and helping with the development of sectors like ours," says Samoel.
Another relevant aspect is the recent change of government in the country, where a woman will assume the reins of the State. In this regard, Vieira de Souza explains that the country's projections for the next five years are of reasonable growth, especially for the CVACR industry that is already growing above GDP.
"We have just elected the new president and we still do not know clearly what her government will be like, we depend a lot on good planning, compliance with the law of fiscal responsibility and competition in management by the government. However, I personally believe that Brazilian institutions are already mature enough for the country to be larger than its government; I believe in the strength of our institutions, our ability to produce and the strength of our industry; that's why I hope for the best."
Own challenges
Since the presidency of Abrava, Samoel Vieira de Souza has in mind a series of goals, headed by the activities that are the image of the association before the world, among which include the Febrava fair, the Conbrava international congress, the export incentive program, Abrava Exporta, among others, for which it has the support of 45 people who are part of the staff of the association.
However, our Professional of the Month is aware that the main challenges are linked to technology, especially in aspects related to energy efficiency and the environment, seeking an improvement in processes and facilities, the responsible use of refrigerants. "Another important point is the improvement in the economic and statistical data, all that requires an intense and joint work with the government bodies, other entities and the 35 companies of the association."
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Success factors
In his three decades of uninterrupted work in the Brazilian CVACR industry, Samoel Vieira de Souza has identified some aspects that are decisive to achieve success in an industry as competitive as ours.
Kindness to colleagues and clients, objectivity in decision-making and discussions, as well as dedication, love and conviction to achieve the objectives set in the professional field. To this are added other elements such as cooperation and the development of a "management with trust" above a "management of control", since these elements create a work environment of mutual trust that leads to success.
