I strive to generate value for society through applied research in three different areas. My research on Sustainable Finance initially dealt with the development of a risk management score system based on sustainability criteria. It has since branched out in different directions with a common underlying theme: enhancing the business case for sustainability. On Financial Management, I am developing a general theory of working capital; my experience in the subject includes guiding a large company to more than USD 1 billion in free cash flow from improved management of its cash conversion cycle. My works on Development Economics involve the improvement of national education systems and the proposal for Brazil to help solve Europe’s refugee crisis.

My research program is coming to fruition in Economics of Global Business, a textbook to appear in 2018, published by MIT Press. All my research is informed by an unique teaching portfolio that spans continents, disciplines and audiences.

The name of my page and blog follows an apocryphal idea from HL Mencken: that for every complex problem, there is always a simple solution. That is wrong.

The most pressing issues in society, from poverty in Haiti and increasing income disparity in the US to world-shattering effects from climate change, are all complex in nature. There is no silver bullet to solve society’s ills. Ideology borne of scientific ignorance makes everything worse. Developments in economics and other social sciences can help us navigate an uncertain future. But only if we concentrate on what works, without useless labels such as neoliberalism, socialism, capitalism, and Marxism, to name a few. Useful policies come in all shapes and forms. Sometimes, a market-based approach will be more successful; in others, governments should enact strict regulations.

The rules of my page and the blog are simple. I am trying to create a (sustainable) development agenda. Because I work in China at NYU Shanghai and Brazil at Fundação Dom Cabral, these countries will be heavily featured in the blog, but my writings are global in nature. Some posts will be in English and some in Portuguese. Some previous posts:

On an Agenda for Emerging Markets.

The Sustainability Imperative and Valuation of Public and Privately-held Companies (with an example).

Not so Tall, Tan, Young or Lovely: Brazil’s Increasingly Unattractive Economic Picture.

A case for higher gasoline prices in emerging markets.

Minimum Wage as a Long-Term Policy for Poverty Reduction in Emerging Markets

To Hell with Short-Term Policies – The Emerging Market Consensus.

Sustainability Policies with Global Impact – the G7 and China.

The Chinese Trilemma and the Attack on the Yuan.

Why you cannot trust stock markets’ signals in emerging markets.

Greece – the submerging market.

Feel free to contact me or comment on any post.