We are Suzano Ventures – the corporate venture capital arm of the world’s largest market pulp producer.

Harnessing the power of trees to build the future of the bioeconomy.

Julio Ramundo

Director

Julio is New Business Director at Suzano, with responsibility for corporate venture capital and carbon projects. His role includes leading the Suzano Ventures team and managing the company’s US$70 million budget for investment into innovative companies, overseeing Woodspin – a joint venture between Suzano and Finnish sustainable textile pioneer Spinnova – and harnessing the company’s expertise in bioscience and forestry operations to develop high-integrity carbon projects.

Julio was previously Suzano’s Director of Corporate Finance, where his achievements included delivering the first ever sustainability-linked bond from an emerging market, with a US$750 million issuance in September 2020.

Before joining Suzano, Julio spent more than 15 years at Brazil’s national development bank, BNDES, where he held a variety of senior roles up to Managing Director level, with a particular focus on the financing of industrial businesses.

Julio holds a degree in economics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and an MBA with distinction from London Business School.

Paula Naidhig Puzzi

Senior Manager, Biomaterials and Packaging

Paula leads the investment verticals in biomaterials and packaging at Suzano Ventures, driving the technical and commercial development of new technologies to replace fossil-based products and systems with renewable alternatives. In this role, she is responsible for building global networks with innovation centers, establishing new partnerships to advance venture investment into the bioeconomy, developing bio-based business opportunities for Suzano, and managing Suzano Ventures’ portfolio.

Paula was a founding member of the Suzano Ventures team, following five and a half years at Suzano, where she managed innovation, marketing and sustainability projects for the company’s paper and packaging division. Prior to this, she worked at Faber-Castell for over a decade in roles spanning marketing, new product development and R&D.

Paula holds an undergraduate degree in industrial chemistry from the University of São Paulo (USP) and has completed two MBAs: her first in project innovation management from USP and a second in marketing from ESPM in São Paulo. Paula is a co-founder of Women in Innovation, a group that has brought together over 600 Brazilian female business leaders, and was recognized in the 100 Women of Innovation 2023 by Época Negócios.

Álvaro Andrés Gómez Rodríguez

Senior Manager, Forest Tech and Carbon

Álvaro leads the investment verticals in forest tech and carbon at Suzano Ventures. In this role, he is responsible for driving forward digital transformation, new technology and business models that can help enhance productivity, efficiency and sustainability in the silviculture sector, and accelerating the commercial development of carbon removals to tackle the climate crisis.

Before joining Suzano Ventures, Álvaro was Open Innovation Manager at Suzano, where he led a variety of initiatives. This included efforts to enhance the relationship between Suzano and the startup ecosystem in Brazil and beyond, managing the company’s portfolio of more than 70 open innovation projects. Prior to this, he held several positions at Gerdau and Gerdau Diaco, the largest manufacturer of long steel products in the Americas.

After beginning his career in engineering roles, Álvaro has gained nearly two decades of experience in a variety of positions driving forward digital transformation efforts at multinational companies, in areas such as strategic planning, financial analysis, and cost management.

Álvaro holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the National University of Colombia (UNAL), a master’s degree in management system engineering from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, and an Executive MBA from Insper.

Mike Rushton

Senior Advisor, Technical Committee

Mike is a senior advisor to Suzano Ventures, as well as serving on the Technical Committee supporting with due diligence processes on potential investment opportunities. A seasoned executive with considerable experience leading technology-based teams, he brings expertise in technology development, chemical engineering, strategic business planning, government and investor relations, fundraising, international business development, operations, and general business management.

Mike was formerly the COO of Suzano Canada, where he oversaw technology development and innovation supporting Suzano’s bio-strategy and new business efforts. He moved into this role after serving as COO at Fibria Innovations, following Suzano’s acquisition of the company in 2018.

Prior to this, Mike was on the leadership team of the innovative biomaterials and biorefining startup, Lignol, that was subsequently acquired by Fibria. In this role, his responsibilities included research, engineering, pilot plant operations, and fundraising.

Mike also served as CEO at Membrane Reactor Technologies, a spin-out from the University of British Columbia commercializing more efficient methods of hydrogen production. In his earlier career, he spent over two decades at the engineering technology company Kvaerner Chemetics (now part of Worley), where he rose to become Senior Vice President for business development and sat on the company’s management board.

Mike holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Exeter.

Dr. Stanley Hirsch

Senior Advisor, Investment Committee

Stanley is a senior advisor to Suzano Ventures, as well as serving on the Investment Committee, where he brings decades of experience in the innovation ecosystem, and practical insight into supporting and growing young companies into successful enterprises.

Staney is Group CEO of FuturaGene, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suzano since 2010, having served in this role at both FuturaGene and its predecessor company since 1995. Under his leadership, FuturaGene has become a world-leading agricultural biotechnology business, focused on the sustainable intensification of plantation forestry and agriculture.

FuturaGene has developed the world’s most comprehensive and accurate sequence data for the eucalyptus genome, which has now been shared with the global scientific community. The company has also pioneered a number of world-first regulatory approvals for genetically modified varieties of eucalyptus, in pursuit of meeting a rapidly increasing global demand for sustainable wood, which is expected to triple by 2050.

Stanley has over 30 years of senior leadership experience in biotechnology, genetics and pharmaceuticals, as a founder, entrepreneur and CEO. He holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford in immunology and cell biology, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Cape Town in biochemistry and microbiology.

Alejandra Manrique

New Business Development Consultant

Alejandra is a business development consultant at Suzano Ventures. As a chemical engineer with over 15 years of experience in cleantech and innovative technologies, Alejandra deploys her technical expertise and business acumen to oversee Suzano Ventures’ origination pipeline – identifying and assessing startups, determining their strategic fit, managing due diligence processes, and engaging with internal and external stakeholders.

Prior to joining Suzano Ventures, Alejandra led various projects, including the business development of bio-oil and other bio-based materials to substitute fossil fuel derivatives in various applications, and leading a project to upgrade the control system of a US$40 million pilot industrial facility.

Alejandra holds a BSc and MSc in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad de Los Andes and University of Calgary, respectively.

Marina Moretão

New Business Consultant

Marina is a new business consultant at Suzano Ventures. Her role includes identifying and supporting entrepreneurs and startups to develop teams and technologies capable of delivering a positive environmental impact. Marina’s expertise spans applications for biomaterials, supporting the energy transition and circular economy building, and decarbonization.

Prior to joining Suzano Ventures, Marina spent over 5 years at Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, Brazil’s largest fully integrated steel producer. Here, Marina worked with the new business team and developed a keen interest in delivering innovation and sustainability projects, as well as supporting the implementation of corporate venture capital functions within organizations.

Marina graduated from the University of São Paulo with a degree in Materials Engineering.

Patrícia Barbosa de Souza

Senior Analyst

Patrícia is a senior analyst at Suzano Ventures, with a focus on the forest tech and carbon verticals.

Previously, Patrícia joined Suzano as a trainee on the company’s new business team, following two years at AgriHub, an innovation initiative of the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil. In this role, she led on open innovation projects, technology adoption and dissemination, and relationship management between the innovation ecosystem and the agriculture sector.

Prior to this, Patrícia spent six years as an agricultural insurance researcher at the Minas Gerais State Agency for Research and Development, FAPEMIG.

Patrícia holds undergraduate and Master’s degrees from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, where she specialized in agribusiness and sustainable natural resource production systems.

Vivian Rodrigues Chagas da Costa

Trainee

Vivian is a trainee on the new business team at Suzano, with a focus on supporting efforts in corporate venture building.

Before joining Suzano, Vivian completed a five-month internship with Avril, a leading French agro-industrial group. In this time, she was involved in identifying innovation and investment opportunities within the food manufacturing, agricultural, and chemical sectors. Vivian has also interned at the Paris International Agricultural Show (Salon International de l’Agriculture), one of the world’s largest and most significant agricultural trade fairs.

Vivian holds a degree in Food Engineering from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa and spent a year studying Agricultural Engineering at AgroParisTech on an exchange scholarship.

Guilherme Tonani Dias

Intern

Guilherme is currently completing an internship with Suzano Ventures and supports operations across all four of the investment verticals: forest tech, carbon, biomaterials, and packaging. Guilherme also works across Suzano Ventures’ digital channels, assisting with website and content development.

Guilherme graduated from the University of São Paulo with a degree in Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology.

Vinicius Costa Breyer

Intern

Vinicius is currently completing an internship with Suzano Ventures and supports operations across all four of the investment verticals: forest tech, carbon, biomaterials, and packaging. He brings strong analytical skills and a passion for innovation, as well as an understanding of operational efficiencies, developed over his previous internship with one of Brazil’s leading management consultancy firms.

Vinicius completes the internship alongside his studies at São Paulo State University, where he is pursuing a degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

Patrícia Colucci

Executive Assistant

Patrícia is an executive assistant to the Suzano Ventures team. A professional with extensive experience in large multinational companies operating in different countries and sectors, Patrícia supports the streamlining and management of internal and external processes.

Patrícia joined Suzano from Publicis Brasil, a major media and communications agency, where she was Executive Assistant to the CEO and VP of Media. Prior to this, Patrícia held a number of assistant roles at the major multinationals operating in Brazil including Takeda, General Electric, Lenovo, and Monsanto.

Patrícia graduated from Unibero as a translator and interpreter, specializing in Portuguese and English.