Who’s Behind 42? — Meet the Brilliant Team of Itaú
Back in 2019, 42 first landed in Brazil, in the bustling city of São Paulo. A key partner of the 42 São Paulo campus since then is none other than the largest bank in Latin America: Itaú! We sat down with Gabriel Pegorelli, one of the people of Itaú following the 42 São Paulo project closely, to ask him what motivated Itaú’s decision to partner up with and support a 42 campus.
Could you please briefly introduce yourself and tell us more about your educational and professional background?
Internally, we are four people leading the partnership with 42: Mariana Gomide and Laura Taglione, superintendent and coordinator of the People department, and Rodrigo Scachetti, and myself, Gabriel Pegorelli, manager and coordinator of the Technology department. Mariana holds a degree in Business Administration, and has been at Itaú since 2005. She currently leads the HR Business Partners team that supports the Technology department. Laura has been at Itaú for almost ten years, and holds a degree in psychology. She leads the learning unit for the Technology and Design teams. Rodrigo has a degree in Business Administration and an MBA in Strategic Project Management from FIA. He’s been at the bank for eight years and currently leads the velocity and productivity management process in IT. As for myself, I’m a computer engineer with an MBA from IESE Business School. I’ve been at Itaú for over ten years and currently lead the Engineering Experience unit. I also hold a degree in Business Administration and an MBA in Strategic Project Management from FIA. I’ve been at the bank for eight years and currently lead the velocity and productivity management process in IT.
Can you tell us more about the company you work for and what you do there?
Itaú Unibanco is the largest bank in Latin America and the most valuable brand in the region. It has been active for over a century. We are a universal bank, providing services to over 70 million customers with a wide variety of products and financial solutions. All our clients, whether individuals or companies, have access to this diverse portfolio of services simply and promptly, through both physical and digital personalized experiences capable of meeting diverse challenges, profiles, and life stages.
To continue surprising and serving our customers in the best possible way, we pursue a strategy of constant evolution. It includes the adoption of new technologies and work methodologies, product design and development, as well as a strong customer-centric culture driven by intensive data usage. In this context, we focus on the continuous training and development of our employees so that they can take the lead in driving this strategy.
How did people at Itaú first come across 42? What did they think was particularly interesting about it?
At Itaú, we believe that tech professionals should be curious and engaged in solving real problems, both for the business and for our customers. Therefore, from the start, it was not difficult to see how 42’s approach could help us move forward in this regard. Its talent-training approach, based on practical challenges that foster collaboration among people, distinguishes it from other technical training programs in the market as a relevant alternative for developing skills that go far beyond technical performance.
Besides the methodology, we saw in 42 a strong connection with our Diversity and Inclusion pillar. We share the genuine concern and relentless pursuit of creating opportunities so that underrepresented groups have access to and can flourish in tech.
What were the motivations behind Itaú’s decision to help set up a 42 campus in São Paulo and to sponsor it?
Itaú is a company that believes in and invests in people’s development and future careers. We understand that our social responsibility goes far beyond our banking relationship with people: we have a commitment to society, we believe in its potential, and we want to see it thrive. To make this possible, it is essential to train increasingly capable and competent professionals, and 42 is a great ally in this endeavor.
In your opinion, what sets 42 apart from other coding schools?
42’s impact goes far beyond coding. It teaches people to think critically, to collaborate with each other, to organize themselves when faced with a major challenge, and, more importantly, to learn throughout this process. Therefore, the legacy for students goes well beyond acquiring specific knowledge in a single area. Through this opportunity, they come to understand the importance of forming partnerships and continuously learning any new skill they may need throughout their careers.
What are your hopes for the future of 42 in São Paulo?
We hope that 42 continues to grow and positively impact the careers of more and more people, so that they, in turn, become professionals capable of positively impacting other lives.
And for the future of education?
We want to help build a future in which quality education is accessible to everyone, and we believe technology can be a powerful ally in achieving this. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2030, 170 million new jobs will be created. In this context, where business and required skills are evolving ever more quickly, we know that we need to consider solutions that allow people to engage in lifelong learning as an everyday practice.
In addition to partnerships like the one we established with 42, we carry out several other initiatives that help us contribute to building this future. Through Fundação Itaú (Itaú Foundation), we have been investing in initiatives that leverage artificial intelligence as a tool for democratizing access to education, personalizing learning, and promoting social inclusion — for example, through grant programs and training courses.
A quick word to conclude our interview?
We would like to deeply thank everyone who builds and experiences 42 around the world and say how grateful we are for the opportunity to contribute to the program. We believe that initiatives like this are what truly change the world for the better.
