TVZ International is an international business consulting company, strategically located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil - South America’s industrial hub and major commercial and financial center.
Former US Department of Commerce Employees, TVZ International’s principals offer jointly 45 years of international trade experience assisting small and medium-sized foreign companies to enter or expand its activities in
TVZ International develops market studies looking at business opportunities for foreign companies interested to globalize their activities.
Since its foundation in 2004 TVZ International’s mission has been to prioritize the quality of its services to offering a customized and hands-on approach, working side-by-side with its clients to successfully introduce them into the Brazilian and South American markets.
Currently, among other clients, TVZ International acts as the Council of Great Lakes Governors Trade Office in Brazil, representing the States of New York, and Wisconsin in this country. TVZ is also the Brazilian representative of the States of Ohio and the exclusive in-country trade consultant for the State of Virginia.
In addition, TVZ International is accredited as an Official Expert by the OSEC (Swiss Office for Commercial Expansion) and the Swiss Business Hub, to assist Swiss companies in the Brazilian market, which extends this company liability to European companies.
TVZ adds value to its clients’ business strategies by providing a full range of market entry services including: full market research; evaluation of market potential; competitive assessment; commercial opportunities and potential client’s identification; identification and selection of partners and sales channels; business trip organization, assistance during meetings and organization of conferences as well as trade shows participation; organization, coordination and management of Trade Missions for government and private organizations.
Through established association with local experienced experts, TVZ can also assist its clients involved in international trade by offering services such as: legal and accounting services, due diligence and real estate services, product licensing and registration, environmental permits, brokerage, design and marketing adaptation, translation and interpreting services.
PARTNERS PROFILE
Claudia Maria Tomaselli
Ms. Claudia Tomaselli is one of the founders and co-directors of Tomaselli Völker and Zulatto Consultoria Ltda. (TVZ International) established in 2004.
In addition to participating actively in the management of the office’s activities, Claudia Tomaselli is responsible for all marketing and promotional aspects of the company. In this capacity she is also responsible for the trade missions and trade events coordination and accompaniment; client support, in-country briefing presentations and market promotional presentations overseas.
Prior to founding TVZ, Ms. Tomaselli held such positions as Deputy Director at the Council of Great Lakes Governors Brazil Office (CGLG), representing and promoting the exports of the States of Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in this Brazil; Special Assistant to the US Commercial Center Director at the US & Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS); Trade Event Assistant at the USFCS; Founder and Director at CMT Design, a Design and Promotional Event company.
In 1990 Ms. Tomaselli, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Design from Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP) in São Paulo, Brazil. Ms. Tomaselli has lived in Japan, England and the United States. In addition to her native Portuguese, Ms. Tomaselli is fluent in English and has conversational and reading understanding of French and Italian.
Vânia Zulatto
Ms. Vânia Zulatto, also founder and co-director of TVZ International is the responsible for the administrative management of the company, being also active in the management of its commercial intelligence activities, counseling foreign companies interested in entering the local market, or going global. Prior to founding TVZ in December 2004, Ms. Zulatto worked with Council of Great Lakes Governors since February, 1998 and has assisted the CGLG member state companies to improve and expand its exports, by establishing partnership agreements like technology transfer, joint venture, distribution, and representation in several Brazilian industry sectors. Ms. Zulatto was also responsible for all office budgetary, personnel and administrative aspects.
During the Multi State Trade Mission lead by the Council to South America, Ms. Vania Zulatto has worked directly with all the participating companies identifying and arranging meetings for the companies for the Brazil portion of the Mission. In addition, throughout the seven years she has worked with the CGLG, Ms. Zulatto has participated in the organization of several Trade Missions including the ones lead by Governors Bob Taft, Tom Ridge and Voinovich. While working at the CGLG office Ms. Zulatto also organized and participated at Trade Shows, Catalog Trade Shows, Video Conferences, Presentations at Trade Associations, and for MBA Executive Groups visiting the country.
Ms. Zulatto has experience in international trade promotion, and was previously associated with the USFCS in São Paulo, Brazil, as a Co-Manager of the Trade Events Unit. Her activities included the coordination of all trade fair events on a country-wide basis, including assisting the Trade Fairs Unit Director in event recruiting, negotiation of trade fair space and price with prospective exhibitors. Ms. Zulatto also prepared and reviewed the budget for each event scheduled for a Fiscal Year, including annual bids for US Pavilions setting-up, arrangements with show organizers and utility companies, contracts of equipment rental and personnel as well as calculating municipal fees. Ms. Zulatto was also responsible for the administrative aspects of freight forwarding, customs clearance, coordinating the handling of all USFCS and outbound materials for trade shows with outside forwarding agents, assuring timely and updated documentation, safe keeping and shipment.
Ms. Zulatto has nine years of experience in the private sector, acting as Buyer for Alternativa Produtos Naturais e Integrais, where she was responsible for the purchase and pricing of approximately 2,000 items. She was also the store Manager, where she was responsible for the overall running of the store, as well as for its wholesales activities.
Ms. Zulatto, received her Bachelor of degree in Social Sciences from Catholic University of São Paulo, Brazil, and graduated in Visual Communication at Escola Panamericana de Artes de São Paulo.
OUR ASSOCIATES
Eng. Agostinho Tomaselli Neto, a Naval Architect & Marine Engineer graduate by the The Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo in partnership with the Brazilian Navy and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a specialist in product certification, being responsible for introducing into the Brazilian Market the concept of Product, Process and Service (PPS) Conformity Certification by Third-Party Private Certification Bodies. Eng. Tomaselli has been involved in the development of the sector, in close collaboration with the Brazilian Regulators such as INMETRO, ANVISA, ANATEL among others.
In 2004 Eng. Tomaselli
Neto was awarded by the Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society- ISA -
with the Technology Promotion Prize.
Throughout his carrier, Eng. Tomaselli held official positions such as
Specialist Member of the Strategic Planning Group for Basic Industrial
Technology, appointed by the Minister of Science and Technology; Representative
of the Certification Bodies at the National Council of Metrology
Standardization and Quality’s, (CONMETRO); Director of the Automation Sector at
the Brazilian Association of Electrical and Electronics Industry-ABINEE;
Chairman of the Board and General
Superintendent of UCIEE-Accredited Certification Body; Chairman of the
Department of Industrial Valves at the Brazilian Association of Machinery and
Equipment- ABIMAQ; Director of Projects and Works at Waterways Department of the State of Sao Paulo Transport
Department.
Eng. Tomaselli, who has a Italian and Brazilian citizenship, is fluent in Portuguese, English and Italian having advanced reading and conversation skills in French, Spanish and some comprehension level on German, a skill that dates back to the 6 month living experience he had in that country.
Ms. Carolina Maria Zulatto Carnevalli Business Development Assistant has been working with TVZ International for more than five years as a Trade Specialist in the Agribusiness sector. In that role she coveres general business between foreign and Brazilian companies, developing market researches and assisting in the coordination of several Trade Missions, to facilitate distribution and representative business relationships. Fluent in English, Portuguese and intermediate level in Spanish, Ms. Carnevalli has her Bachelor in Nutrition for the top Brazilian University USP – Universidade de São Paulo in 2005 and post graduation in Functional Nutrition and Exercise Physiology.
Ms. Magda Völker - Former TVZ International partner, has been active in foreign trade business consulting for 30 years. Prior to that Ms. Volker had her own consulting company, representing the state of Maryland. She has extensive experience in market research, competitive assessment, and identification of potential partners and associates to foreign companies interested in the Brazilian market. Ms. Völker has also worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce in São Paulo when she had countrywide responsibility for contracting and supervising all market research conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce in Brazil, covering broad range of industry sectors.
Mr. Fernando Nabais da Furriela - Partner director at the law firm Furriela Advogados, founded in 1989, expert in advising Brazilian and international clients in a wide range of areas of Business, Corporate and Commercial Law. Firm has played a pioneer role in highly specialized areas of law, where it has contributed to the establishment of norms and the evolution of practices including Environmental Law and Non-Governmental-Organization Law. Mr. da Furriela is fluent in Portuguese and English, and is a member of the following organizations in Brazil: Brazilian Bar; São Paulo Lawyers Association; American Bar Association, Chambre de Commerce France Brésil, BRITCHAM - The British Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Brazil.
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Eng. Abdias Ferreira Filho’s carrier was developed for over 35 years in management positions in the fields of Manufacturing, Foreign Trade, Logistics, Relations with Government and Purchasing in relevant companies as Alcan do Brasil, Alcan Latin America and Confab Industrial. Mr. Ferreira is expert in Foreign Trade, with emphasis on fiscal classification of goods, international purchasing and related payment strategies, Brazilian legal aspects associated with the importation of new and second hand equipments, special customs legislation, international freight and containers unitization.
Mr. Francisco Barros de Campos Jr. Acting for over 30 years as a Director of FBC Engenharia, Mr. Campos was successfully involved in countless assessments of equipment and complete plants, both in Brazil and overseas. Mr. Campos is an expert in the assessment of fixed assets and intangibles. He is also responsible for site location studies and for assisting customers in getting financial support for projects, when required. On top of that, Mr. Campos is specialized in trading second hand equipment.
Mr. José Renato Hilst Izar acted as planning coordinator for the Votorantim Group during the energy shortage and rationing in 2001-2002, he had direct involvement in the administration of this energy crisis, having focused in minimizing production loss and in dealing with the costs generated by the energy rationing. Mr. Izar past experience encompasses the replacement of oil fuel by electric energy for the production of industrial steam, after the rationing period, generating a huge decrease of energy cost to the Votorantim Group. Mr. Izar was also responsible for migration of energy contracts of Votoratim, from the “regulated” market to the “free” market in 2004-2007, with savings of US$400 million for the Group. Along these years, he has developed high level contacts in the Brazilian energy sector both in Federal and State energy agencies.
Mr. Joao Carlos Völker, has a background and MBA in Energy Management and Petrochemical Engineering and has worked for over 32 years at VM Metals - Votorantim Group as an Energy Manager for several major projects. Since his retirement in 2009, Mr. Völker has been providing consulting services for Votorantim as a Manager of the studies for a BOT Cogeneration plant in the aluminium site of CBA São Paulo and Biomass Project – Coordinating the field tests between Elephant Grass and Energy Cane, lead the feasibility analysis. Mr. Völker is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and has intermediate English level.
Mr. Gaylord Michael Bryan is a Mechanical engineer, with experience in industrial processes and commercial procedures. Worked almost continuously in Brazil since 1961 for industries such as Saint-Gobain, Firestone, Dunlop and Verolme as well as engineering companies, Lummus, Davy McKee and Morrison Knudsen, and recently by the British Consulate-General in Sao Paulo, where responsibilities include evaluation of local business opportunities. Good industrial contacts, especially in the São Paulo regions. First hand knowledge of Brazilian business procedures, including legislation and tendering procedures for state entities. Mr. Bryan was born in England and is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish.
Ms. Heloisa Maranhao Carvalho who has a degree in civil engineering and MBA in Economics has worked for the past 10 years in the international financial market, dealing with South American clients. She worked for the top financial institutions in the US: Merrill Lynch, Prudential Securities, Wachovia Securities, the last position being Senior Ops Manager for Wells Fargo Advisors in N.Y. Registered with FINRA (Financial Regulatory Authority), Series 7, Series 66, Series 63, NFA (National Futures Association), Series 3 and General Securities Sales Supervisor, Series 9/10.
Ms. Lynn H. Wong, who is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish, is an experienced International Business Consultant specialized in high-tech sectors (software, hardware, Internet and telecom) with over twelve years of experience with both public and private I.T. organizations. Ms. Wong has worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s main office in Sao Paulo. Prior to becoming an independent consultant she worked in corporate sales at I.T. Silicon Valley companies like Spire Systems and Akraya Inc., and also in marketing and sales for multinational companies, such as Ambev (American Beverage Company) and FedEx.
Ms. Elena Bryan experienced in international trade promotion, Ms. Bryan worked in the marketing research department at Medimix International, being responsible for evaluating market opportunities in the healthcare industry in Latin America and Europe. Ms. Bryan’s employment history was mostly in Germany and England where she lived for many years and gained professional experience by European Consulting Companies such as The Boston Consulting Group in Munich and the Gemini Consulting in Bad Homburg where she assisted large teams of consultants in several auditing projects for companies such as Henkel, Deutsche Bank, Bayer, Basf among others. She was also a correspondent in the Customer Relations Department at Sixt AG in Pullach. Ms. Bryan is Portuguese native speaker and has English as her second language. She is also fluent in German.
