Pérsio Arida
Pérsio Arida | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 1, 1952 São Paulo, Brazil |
| Occupation | Economist |
| Known for | Principal contributor to the Plano Real; former president of the Central Bank of Brazil |
Pérsio Arida (born March 1, 1952, in São Paulo) is a distinguished Brazilian economist who formerly led the Central Bank of Brazil as its president.
He earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of São Paulo and completed his doctoral studies in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Arida was instrumental in shaping Brazil's economic policies, particularly recognized as a principal contributor to the Plano Real. Within this initiative, he created the Unidade Real de Valor, a non-monetary unit that was vital to the plan's effectiveness. In 1995, he held the position of president of the Central Bank of Brazil and acted as Special Secretary for Social-Economic Coordination within the Ministry of Planning. His career in the private sector includes board memberships at Banco Itaú Holding Financeira S.A., Banco Itaú S.A., Sul-América S.A., Unibanco S.A., and Opportunity Asset Management Ltda., alongside advisory responsibilities at Brasil Warrant Ltd. Since the 1970s, Arida has been extensively engaged as a consultant in economic and financial matters.
By 2008, he had joined the executive council of the Moreira Salles Institute. Additionally, he participates on the International Advisory Board at the Blavatnik School of Government (University of Oxford) and serves on the Academic Board of Livres.