Hector Gusmão: “Learning Collectively to Create Solutions is The Way Forward.”

From his childhood dream of becoming a doctor, to managing a gym as a teenager, to becoming a serial entrepreneur and ultimately founding 42 Rio, Hector Gusmão has already had quite an eventful career! We sat down with him to discuss what drove him to open a 42 campus, his views on education and his ambitions for the future.

Can you please tell us more about your background? What is your education and what were you doing before 42?

I studied business administration. Throughout my entire childhood and teenage years, I said I would be a doctor, but the influence of my single, entrepreneurial mother encouraged me to study to create impactful, large-scale businesses. I’ve worked since I was 15: I managed a gym and worked as a salesperson for a famous clothing store. It was at an energy company, however, that I began building up my career. After five years, I dedicated myself full-time to a tourism startup I had created. Shortly after, I founded Bolder, and not long after that, 42 Rio.

What do you like about your position at your campus?

I love positively influencing people. Talking to executives from major companies, presenting 42 Rio, and engaging them as investors or partners fills me with pride. But beyond that, using my position to convey a vision of the future and purpose to the team, and encouraging our students to believe in themselves and aim as high as they want without fear — that’s the kind of influence I’ve always pursued in my personal and professional life.

What is your vision for the future of education?

I believe in a network-based, problem-solving-oriented education. I believe that there’s a knowledge network we can all join. We should seek to learn from our predecessors, understand future technologies and trends, and we can do it far more powerfully together than alone. And when all of this is tied to solving real-world problems, it makes much more sense. Immense challenges like poverty, energy transition, educational democratization, and healthcare access, among many others, show that learning collectively to create solutions is the way forward.

What is your management style, how do you make your team work together?

I see myself as a manager who seeks to empower individuals and decentralize decision-making. I have a clear understanding of my responsibilities and skills, and I am confident in my ability to excel in them. But I also know there are others more competent in handling certain responsibilities, and they need my support to thrive.

I manage a team by ensuring each person has clarity on what’s expected of them in their specific role. We look at each person’s soft and technical skills, leveraging them in ways that make sense. We have one common purpose and work on aligning each person’s individual goals with our shared objectives. I’ll admit that I’m a demanding manager, but only as demanding as I am with myself.

42 has 4 pillars: openness, excellence, tech, and ethics. Which one is the most important to you and why?

Excellence. For me, everything is discovered through a continuous pursuit of excellence. It’s a broad value where, by questioning everything you do, the answers emerge.

I don’t see excellence as something you achieve once and for all, but rather as a never-ending pursuit that drives you to bring in the most diverse people, stay at the forefront of technology, adopt the best governance practices, and more.

Last question: why is your campus one of the best in the network? 😉

Because it’s in Rio, the most beautiful city in the world, where nature, business, and amazing people come together 😊