Antonio Eduardo Mendes da Silva (known in the market as Pitanga) — BSA Country Manager, Brazil
From Pitangueiras, a small town in the countryside of São Paulo. Living in São Paulo since 1999.
I have more than 34 years of experience in the software market and joined BSA in 2016. Previously, I worked for many years at Microsoft in marketing, sales, and license compliance positions, as well as Autodesk in license compliance. I’m also a member of the board of advisors of ABES (Brazilian Association of Software Companies).
I hold a degree in electronic engineering from the São Paulo State University, a postgraduate degree in marketing from Fundação Getulio Vargas, and an MBA from Fundação Dom Cabral. I also completed a policy course at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Strategy Beyond Markets (Building Reputation and Competitive Advantage).
What/who inspired you to pursue the career you have today?
Technology has always appealed to me, ever since I was a child. I was one of those kids who loved taking apart electronic equipment to see inside, although I couldn’t always put it back together again. I initially became interested in engineering from a cousin I admire, and when I went on to study electronic engineering, I fell even more in love with the technology market.
What attracted you to work at BSA?
I’ve known BSA since I was at Microsoft, which was a long time ago. Through my previous work, I have experienced BSA as a member, and for several years, I was the BSA Members Chairman in Brazil. I’ve always respected BSA, so when I received the invitation to sit on the other side of the table and work here, the opportunity to represent our sector attracted me the most, in addition to the admiration I already had for the organization.
What’s the most unique part about working at BSA?
Being able to work with highly qualified professionals around the world, I learn so much from my colleagues at BSA. I get to represent the software industry while learning and following our member’s innovations, observing their cultural changes, and seeing the impact that their solutions have on our society.
Tell us one fun fact about you (that might surprise your colleagues).
When I was a teenager, my biggest concern was whether to study electronic engineering or music. My parents never influenced my decision, but I must have worried them a lot because of the difference between the two options. I finally decided to pursue electronic engineering, but music has always been present in my life.
During the second half of last year and the first half of this year, I decided to study singing and was part of the choir at the Ibirapuera Auditorium Music School in São Paulo. It was an incredible experience singing with an orchestra in front of a packed auditorium. In the photo below, I’m backstage just before the performance.
What’s the most meaningful piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
I always like to share that the best advice I received in my professional life was from a former sales boss who once told me: “Pitanga, be hard on problems and soft on people!” My colleagues who worked with me at Microsoft Brazil certainly will remember him, Carlos Salgado.
Personally, the best advice was from my mother (in memory), who always told me never to give up and to always be okay with myself.
Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? What did you learn?
I’m now reading “Sapiens,” by Yuval Noah Harari and “Chega de Saudade” by Ruy Castro. The next one is a recommendation from a friend, “The 100-Year Life,” by Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott.
If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?
Can I choose two? Imagine having dinner in a bar in Rio de Janeiro with Brazilian composers Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes and having the chance to ask them about their masterpieces that launched bossa nova music. I’d love to ask them about some of the situations described in their songs and what they were really thinking at the time. It would be a lot of fun and a music lesson, too.
