Alumni Spotlight

Alexandre Munhoz

Product Marketing Director for Dell Computer’s Latin America business

It was the summer of 2008 and as Alexandre Munhoz climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, he had time to reflect on his life. He’d spent the past seven years working for Brasilian national companies. Now, he was joining his first global company as a consultant with A.T. Kearney. Would it be different? Was he making the right choice? He continued to ponder these questions as he traveled higher up the mountain.

Returning from his trip, he was more confident than ever that he’d made the right decision. After all, he’d spent four years with Grupo Pão de Açúcar, a US $25 billion mass merchandizer in Brasil, and three years with Natura, a leading Brasilian manufacturer of health and beauty products. With roles primarily in strategy, planning and business development, Alexandre was successful at every turn. Indeed, he was so successful in Grupo Pão de Açúcar’s business development group that the company sponsored his attendance in a one-year MBA program at INSEAD.

It was at INSEAD that he met his future A.T. Kearney colleagues and faced the difficult choice between returning to his current company or venturing on to a new chapter in his life. Like most consultants who join A.T. Kearney, Alexandre says he chose the firm for its people. He also admired A.T. Kearney’s hands-on approach, down to earth interactions and “make it happen” attitude with clients. An added plus was the small size of the São Paolo office, which had a distinct entrepreneurial feel.

Alexandre’s time with the firm was intense, with a series of two- to three-month engagements across a variety of industries, including CPG, retail, oil and gas, and financial services. “The amount of learning you get in such a short period of time is tremendous,” he explains. “I grew up as an executive for sure.” Although he enjoyed the learning experience at A.T. Kearney, Alexandre says he wanted to manage his own P&L. Thus, it was time to seek out his next opportunity.

Now at Dell Computer, Alexandre is the Product Marketing Director for the Latin America business, focused on consumer and small- to medium-sized businesses. His first role was in Dell’s strategy and business development group where he designed the go-to-market approach for the business’ fast-growing market. He attributes his time at A.T. Kearney for much of his success in performing this new role, equipping him with the skills to be promoted in a short period of time. The three skills that he values most are: (1) an executive mindset, (2) the ability to structure work for his team, and (3) a knack for adjusting his communication style to different audiences.

But neither A.T. Kearney nor the climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro could have prepared Alexandre for his most recent adventure. This summer, he spent a week on holiday in the United States serving as Chief of Staff for the Race Across America—an annual 3,000 mile transcontinental bicycle race from the west to east coasts. “It was seven days without sleeping…or showering,” he laughs.

The experience with Race Across America will surely help prepare him for his next challenge—fatherhood. Alexandre and his wife of five years, Isadora, are expecting their first child (a boy) in late September!