Brazil
Erling Lorentzen
- Former CEO, Aracruz Celulose (Pulp and Paper)
Born Oslo, Norway, 1923. MBA, Harvard Business School (1948).
“[W]e managed to build a special port in the country. Part of the government… said, ‘There are sufficient ports …’ But I got it through … it was one of the bases for the success of Aracruz.”
Summary
Erling Lorentzen relates his experience growing up in Norway as part of family of shipping magnates and industrialists, his service during World War II, his educational experience at Harvard Business School, his marriage into the Norwegian royal family, and his eventual move to Brazil in 1953. There, he pursued a career in the petroleum industry and in shipping. In 1968, he founded the Aracruz Celulose company, which became a massive manufacturer of pulp and paper. Lorentzen oversaw the construction of the largest pulp mill in Brazil and the acquisition of large forestry operations. He describes the difficulty of growing the business amid periods of rapid inflation, the challenges of raising money overseas (including by becoming the first Brazilian company listed on New York Stock Exchange), and by facing and confronting issues of sustainability.
Video Clips by Topic
Capital
Erling Lorentzen, former head of Aracruz Celulose, a leading Brazilan manufacturer of pulp and paper, describes the difficulty of gaining financing from the American banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs during times of inflation and political instability in Brazil.
Capital (2)
Erling Lorentzen, former head of Aracruz Celulose, a leading Brazilan manufacturer of pulp and paper, describes his efforts to gain financing from the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.
Additional Resources
- Videotape of HBS interview, September 1, 2003, Tape number 10763, available at: http://www.hbs.edu/entrepreneurs/erlinglorentzen.html
- Antoine van Agtmael, The Emerging Markets Century: How A New Breed of World-Class Companies Is Overtaking the World. Free Press, c.2007.
- Video file of this interview available at Baker Library Historical Collections, histcollref+hbs.edu. Harvard ID holders can access the full-length video above.
Interview Citation Format
"Interview with Erling Lorentzen, interviewed by Aldo Musacchio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 4, 2013, Creating Emerging Markets Project, Baker Library Historical Collections, Harvard Business School, http://www.hbs.edu/creating-emerging-markets/."