Walter Moreira Salles
Walter Moreira Salles | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| Died | February 27, 2001 (aged 88) Araras, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, politician, philanthropist |
| Known for | Pioneer in Brazil's contemporary banking sector; founder of Moreira Salles Institute; ambassador to the United States; Secretary of the Treasury of Brazil |
Walter Moreira Salles (28 May 1912 – 27 February 2001) was a distinguished Brazilian banker, politician, and philanthropist, recognized as a pioneer in shaping Brazil's contemporary banking sector.
Career
Moreira Salles was born in 1912 in Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais. He completed his legal studies at the Faculty of Law of Largo de São Francisco, part of the University of São Paulo. In 1926, his father João Moreira Salles founded Casa Bancária Moreira Salles in Poços de Caldas, and by 1933, at just 21 years old, Walter joined as an active partner.
The year 1940 saw Banco Moreira Salles merge with three other regional banks, ultimately forming União de Bancos Brasileiros (Unibanco). Under Walter’s guidance, Unibanco expanded significantly through strategic acquisitions and an emphasis on workforce development, establishing itself among Brazil’s leading three banks. After six decades in the industry, he stepped down as chairman in 1991, assuming the role of honorary chairman and focusing on directing the group's cultural programs.
Between 1990 and 1991, he established the Moreira Salles Institute (IMS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting cultural endeavors in photography, literature, libraries, visual arts, and Brazilian music. As its inaugural president, he inaugurated the Casa de Cultura de Poços de Caldas in 1992. Today, IMS manages cultural centers located in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Poços de Caldas, and Belo Horizonte, along with galleries in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, and Porto Alegre.
The Poços de Caldas Airport bears his name as a tribute.
Political involvement
In addition to his banking career, Moreira Salles engaged actively in Brazilian politics. During the 1950s, he served two terms as ambassador to the United States. He also held the office of Secretary of the Treasury under President João Goulart and gained the respect of President Juscelino Kubitschek for his diplomatic contributions. Throughout that decade, he played a key role in negotiating Brazil’s external debt challenges during the administrations of Getúlio Vargas, Kubitschek, and Jânio Quadros.
Personal and family life
Moreira Salles maintained relationships with notable personalities including musician Mick Jagger, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and actress Greta Garbo. He passed away in 2001 at Araras, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro; his family chose not to disclose the cause.
His legacy continues through his four sons who have made significant impacts in business and cultural fields: Pedro Moreira Salles, current president of Unibanco; filmmaker Walter Salles; documentarian João Moreira Salles; and publisher Fernando Moreira Salles.
He was married three times: initially to Helène Matarazzo, mother of Fernando; subsequently to Eliza Gonçalves, mother to Pedro, Walter, and João; and lastly to Lúcia from 1986 onward.