Engineer Mario Santos has been chairman of Enel Brasil’s Board of Directors since December 2014 and holds the same position on the boards of the group’s electricity distribution companies.
Mario Santos started working at Enel as chairman of the board of Endesa Brasil Holding, and he remained in this position until December 2014, when the holding company was renamed Enel Brasil. He started his professional career in January 1963 at Companhia Hidro Elétrica do São Francisco (CHESF - São Francisco Hydroelectric Company), where he led the company on several occasions, in addition to holding technical and managerial positions such as chief operating officer. He remained at CHESF until 1990, and then joined the Ministry of Mines and Energy as the national supply coordinator of the National Fuel Department (SNE/MINFRA).
In 1991, Mr. Santos started working at Eletrobrás, where he served as chief systems operation officer, CEO, and CEO of Eletronorte. In 1998, he became president and founder of the National Electric System Operator – for two consecutive terms until November 2005.
Throughout his career, Mr. Santos served as Brazil’s representative in the International Committee on Large Electric Systems (CIGRÉ – França); he was vice president and president of CIER – Regional Energy Integration Commission; and he served on the boards of various companies in the electricity industry, such as Eletrobrás, Chesf, Eletrosul, Eletronorte, Celpe and Saelpa. Mr. Santos holds a degree in Electric Engineering from the Federal University of Pernambuco.