Brazil’s state-owned oil company Petrobras has appointed Angélica Laureano as its new Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), marking a shift in the gender composition of its executive leadership team.
The role had been temporarily held by William França, Chief Industrial Processes and Products Officer, following the departure of Mauricio Tolmasquim in May. Tolmasquim, who had served as Chief Energy Transition and Sustainability Officer, left the company to join the board of utility firm Eletrobras.
Laureano, a Petrobras veteran with over 37 years at the company, has a background in engineering and has worked across several departments including business development, marketing, and corporate governance.
In a statement following her appointment, Laureano said: “We will continue to invest significantly in decarbonisation projects, in the production of more sustainable fuels and in the diversification of renewable energy sources.” She reaffirmed Petrobras’ commitment to achieving net zero operational emissions by 2050.
Despite this stated target, the company’s long-term plans include an expansion of oil and gas production and ongoing efforts to replenish its reserves. To offset emissions from this increased production, Petrobras is investing in carbon credits, including a US$77 million initiative to restore degraded areas of the Amazon rainforest, aimed at sequestering 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
In April, shareholders approved a change to the company’s bylaws to include carbon capture and storage (CCS) as part of Petrobras’ official operations. The firm aims to have reinjected 80 million tonnes of CO₂ through CCS projects by the end of 2025 and is exploring the capture, storage and utilisation of CO₂ as a potential business segment.
Laureano’s appointment brings the number of women on Petrobras’ executive board to five, outnumbering the four men on the team. Other female leaders include Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Clarice Coppetti, Engineering, Technology and Innovation Director Renata Baruzzi, Exploration and Production Director Sylvia Anjos, and President Magda Chambriard.
Commenting on the company’s evolving leadership composition, Chambriard stated: “We are committed to increasing women’s participation in all of Petrobras’ departments because we believe the work atmosphere is healthier and more productive when there is team diversity. I hope we can inspire more women to aim for leadership positions, especially in the oil and gas sector, which is still male-dominated.”
