RIO DE JANEIRO, June 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The inaugural three-day Latin America FII PRIORITY Summit, powered by FII Institute, commenced on Tuesday at the Copacabana Palace Hotel in Rio de Janeiro. Convening global officials, along with business leaders from various sectors, the event will tackle pressing issues under the theme “Invest in Dignity.” The Summit welcomed over 1,500 delegates, who attended 66 sessions featuring more than 190 speakers.

The opening ceremony included remarks by the CEO of FII Institute, Richard Attias; His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund, Chairman of Saudi ARAMCO, and Chairman of the Board of FII Institute; and the President of the Republic of Brazil, His Excellency Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in FII PRIORITY Rio de Janeiro

In his opening remarks, Attias said, “Today, we gather with a shared mission: to invest in dignity. Dignity is not just a concept; it is a fundamental human right that should be accessible to every individual, regardless of their background, economic status, or social standing.” He added, “In this room, we have the collective power to drive meaningful change. Our collaboration, innovation, and determination can transform lives and communities.”

A fireside chat with Al-Rumayyan highlighted the rising role of Brazil in global investment and economic growth. “There are 12,000 new start-ups, and 12 or 16 unicorns were created here. The potential in Brazil is really big,” he said. When asked about why FII Institute brought the summit to Rio, His Excellency said, “Why did we host the FII in Rio? The question is: Why not? This is one of the greatest cities not only in Brazil, but the world. At the same time, we will have the G20 and COP30.”

For his part, President Lula said, “We all want to make the world capable of welcoming all its inhabitants with dignity—and not just a privileged minority.” The President also highlighted Brazil’s evolving economic and investment landscapes, saying, “The choice to host FII in Rio shows that this is a sign of trust in our country from over 1,000 participants. I’m here to show that Brazil is worthy of this trust.”

The Summit's flagship Board of Changemakers session featured several notable speakers, including H.R.H. Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud, the Saudi Ambassador to the United States; Magda Chambriard of Petrobras; Marcelo Claure of Claure Group and SHEIN; Bernard Mensah of Bank of America and MLI; Secretary Mike Pompeo, 70th Secretary of State of the United States and Executive Chairman of Impact Investments; and Sir Martin Sorrell of S4 Capital Group.

During the session, Princess Reema stressed the importance of dignity as a collective responsibility, further underscoring the theme of the summit. She said, “We all have a responsibility for the way we speak, think, and engage with people. Dignity is an individual concept, but it is a collective responsibility.” For her part, Ms. Chambriard noted Brazil’s role in the broader global context in maintaining citizen dignity, saying, “The idea is to exercise the power of using all the Brazilian resources and investing based on the respect of the Brazilian society.”

Visionary Brazilian entrepreneur and media personality Luciano Huck and Cecilia Attias, who is Senior VP of Public Affairs and Board Member, RA&A, and Founder and President of the Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women, covered the intersection of media, politics, and responsibility towards both. During the Titan of Industry session, Huck stressed that “The privilege of speaking to 35 million people on global TV is the freedom of speech. I do not treat it as power, but a tremendous responsibility.”

Executives from Goldman Sachs, Franklin Templeton, Morgan Stanley, and Patria Investments set the tone for the rest of the day in a session tackling global market volatility and disruptions and the impact on investors. Exploring a range of approaches, from backing national champions to diversifying across asset classes, the discussion centred on ways to build resilient portfolios, with key insights shared by prominent industry leaders.

Among the notable announcements of the first day of FII PRIORITY Rio de Janeiro, Richard Attias, CEO of FII Institute, announced the Institute’s latest flagship initiative, FII Institute TV. Set to launch fully in the coming months, FII Institute TV is a 24/7 platform offering enhanced content curation, in-depth interviews with global leaders, and expert analysis.

Furthermore, FII Institute’s strategic partner, THIQAH, made a significant announcement for BRICS+ countries, launching their “Certificate of Origin” platform in Brazil in collaboration with CICIBAS. The platform enables exporters and manufacturers to issue and track the status of certificates of origin for manufactured products through a single electronic platform, contributing to a transformation in the commercial and industrial sectors.

E-mail: media@fii-institute.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/13c76081-cfa1-42b5-af6f-3edc96d21d1b