Bráulio de Brito is a highly educated, businessman, philanthropist and family man – heading up Angola’s premier energy conference, the Angola Oil and Gas Service and Technology Conference (AOTC) and he’s at the top of his game.
De Brito, the Chairman of the AOTC and President of the Angolan Oil & Gas Service Companies Association (AECIPA), is together with international events organizer, GEP, and his team at AECIPA, tasked with pulling off the conference, which he says will be one of the strongest information, technology and data sharing events of the year.
We spoke to the man driving this year’s conference and found more about Bráulio de Brito.
Q: You have had a very cosmopolitan life, with degrees from Leeds and Oxford University and you’ve had a host of high profile jobs with companies like Texaco, ExxonMobil, WorleyParsons Angola and Cameron Angola – was it always your plan to be based in Angola?
BdB: I’ve been blessed in many ways to be able to go through such academic and professional experiences. As a proud Angolan, I’ve always had it very clear in my mind, to live in Angola and be here to support the economic and social development of my country.
Q: How does the Angolan Oil & Gas Service Companies Association work to better the oil and gas industry.
BdB: AECIPA is a 250+ members strong organisation, which incorporates essentially all or most of the service companies working in Angola. Our role is to ensure there is a concerted voice between the service sector and all the major Angolan stakeholders in addressing, mitigating or solving the common issues, concerns or problems that may arise within our sector.
Q: Can you tell us more about the AOTC and why it’s different from the other oil and gas conferences?
BdB: AOTC is a fantastic platform that brings the Angolan oil, gas and energy community together. The conference is about engagement and collaboration and this is enabled via a wide range of business engagement during and after the conference. All of this is facilitated through our interactive webinars and all the other e-tools that our organisation offers throughout the year. AOTC is delivered by the industry to the industry, and with AECIPA at the forefront, it provides the entire value chain with a voice to connect, collaborate and create.
We’ve also got some recently confirmed new developments in the pipeline for day three of the conference, which will become a ‘Youth Empowerment Day’ and this is centred around the notion that the investment in Angola’s youth and their development is essential and pivotal for its long-term growth and success. There will be more announcements on this coming very soon.
Q: You currently chair the UK-Angola Chamber of Commerce, and were the first Executive Director – can you tell us more about your role and what it entails?
BdB: Being a founder member and its first Executive Director has given me tremendous joy. It has also granted me insight into what needs to be done – to further strengthen the bilateral business relations between both countries. There’s lots of business support, knowledge, equipment, etc. that the UK can provide to Angola and perhaps there are many things that can go in the other direction. The role is to promote those opportunities and make the business communities of both countries work together and enhance their economic and social growth, with particular emphasis, to Angola. I’ve now passed this baton on, but I’m looking forward to seeing the UK-Angolan Chamber continue with the work we started.
Q: You’re also the founder of Tradinter?
Tradinter is an Angolan Service company geared toward providing support services within the Angolan oil and gas industry. Part of our business model is supporting companies wanting to enter the Angolan market by providing them with advice on how to do business in Angola, or via the creation of JVs/ partnerships based on our strong work experience.
Q: You and your family also believe in giving back – why is philanthropy important to you?
BdB: Yes, my family and I are very philanthropically inclined. We are longtime supporters of a local orphanage in Luanda. It’s something that gives all of us enormous satisfaction and joy. We’ve been able to see many of these kids flourish into adulthood by getting a good education, jobs and building families of their own. It’s priceless!
Q: How do you unwind?
I enjoy light sports, lots of reading and I like travelling, both business and pleasure, all of this provides me with good balance and relaxation for my many duties and responsibilities.
The Angola Oil and Gas Service and Technology Conference will take place from 23 -25 November 2021, at the InterContinental Hotel, Luanda with virtual access options also available via the energy advance network. For more details visit www.angola-series.com