Renato Prestes is passionate about creating solutions, tools, and systems to simplify operations and increase productivity. As VP of Global ESG and ESH, he doesn’t just talk the talk, but his walks the walk. And his dedication to his craft comes from a deeply personal place.
“At 13, I lost my sweet 8-year-old sister due to slip, trip, and fall incident. My parents and I were devastated,” he recalls. “She was my only sibling, and I became a single child. How come an 8-year-old playing dolls at home can simply die? That was an eye opening to me.”
Even at that age, Renato’s life had a mission.
“As I learned from this incredibly painful life event, I decided I would not let others go through this. Later, I decided to go for Safety Masters. My dear little sister gave me a meaningful purpose in life, and I’m proud of this story.”
Renato was inspired by his father – “the most talented and creative handyman I ever met” – to seek out understandings of how things work, how things come together effectively. It led Renato to pursue a Mechanical Engineering degree. From there, he gained experience integrating EHS, PSM, Sustainability and operations into all aspects of daily work. Before coming to Verdesian, Renato enjoyed almost three decades of experience in various executive and leadership roles at Union Carbide, J&J, Monsanto, FMC, and James Hardie Corporation. He also served on a number of key boards including as an Advisory Board Member for the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS); Executive Member of Crop Life International (CLI); the International Chapter of American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE); and the Responsible Care Committee of the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
It’s also not at all surprising that Renato today works for an agricultural company.
“My grandfather moved to Brazil by himself at 12 to make a living. At 18, he owned his first banana farm. In his early 50s, he became a major banana exporter in the world with 50 banana farms,” he says. “I grew up in this environment which made me fascinated by agriculture and its capacity to feed the world when good technology is in place. Verdesian has great technology helping farmers grow more food with fewer inputs, providing prescriptive nutrient use efficiency solutions that improve plant uptake and reduce fertilizer losses, helping preserve the environment and making the most of your investment.”
“Family has been always very important to me. It gave me a career choice, a profession, a purpose. Family continue gives me foundation, love, and joy. Spending time with my wife, daughters and dog is essential to me. We all share passions for the beach, soccer, kayaking, jogging, biking, hiking, outdoor walks and traveling.”