Introduction
Norberto Odebrecht (October 9, 1920 – July 19, 2014) was a Brazilian engineer, businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of Odebrecht.
Early life
Norberto Odebrecht was born on October 9, 1920 in Recife, Brazil. He was the son of the pioneer Emílio Odebrecht, Sr. and a grandson of Emil Odebrecht, a German geodetical engineer and cartographer, who emigrated to Brazil in 1856. He studied at the Polytechnic School of Bahia.
Career
Odebrecht founded a construction company from which the Odebrecht Group in Salvador da Bahia was created in 1944. Today, the company has become an international conglomerate and employs more than 167,500 people in over 60 countries around the globe.
In 1991, he passed the presidency of Odebrecht to his son Emílio Odebrecht, and remained as chairman.
Philanthropy
Odebrecht was the founder of the Brazilian Odebrecht Foundation (Portuguese: Fundação Odebrecht).
Death
Odebrecht died on 19 July 2014, aged 93, in Salvador, Bahia.