WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE:FCN) today announced the appointment of Rodolfo Araujo, a leading expert on corporate governance, proxy contests and high-profile M&A transactions, as a Senior Managing Director, the Americas Head of the Corporate Governance and Activism offering in the firm’s Strategic Communications segment and also a member of the Company’s Activism and M&A Solutions practice. He will initially be based in Washington, D.C., and will report to Brian Kennedy, Head of the Americas for the firm’s Strategic Communications segment.
Mr. Araujo’s expertise will be highly complementary to FTI Consulting’s leading global Financial Communications offering, which today includes more than 200 financial communications specialists with unique, sector-focused expertise in key markets around the world. As a senior member of this market-leading practice in the Americas, Mr. Araujo will work closely with David Roady, M&A Communications Lead for the Americas, and Bryan Armstrong, Americas Head of Capital Markets Communications, as well as Jason Frankl and Brian Kushner, who lead FTI Consulting’s cross-segment Activism and M&A Solutions practice, to help corporate clients navigate the spectrum of transformational events and issues they confront in an increasingly complex, fluid and interconnected landscape.
Formerly a Vice President at Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”), Mr. Araujo will provide a unique perspective to Boards of Directors and management teams as they grapple with some of their most pressing challenges: managing scrutiny around their Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) practices; engaging with activist shareholders; navigating proxy contests and shareholder proposals; and pursuing transactions in hostile, contested or highly regulated environments. Mr. Araujo will not only advise FTI Consulting clients in moments of financial distress or opportunity, he will also provide ongoing counsel that will strengthen their long-term strategic objectives, governance practices and reputation among a variety of stakeholders.
“Against the backdrop of heightened ESG-related scrutiny by investors and other stakeholders, Rodolfo brings a wealth of highly relevant and invaluable experience to our clients as they navigate board elections, reputational and brand risk, M&A transactions, and challenges to their governance practices,” said Mark McCall, Global Segment Leader of the Strategic Communications segment at FTI Consulting. “The drivers behind shareholder activism are changing rapidly, and as Vice President of ISS’s Special Situations Research Group, Rodolfo gained a unique perspective informed by some of the most complex mergers and fiercest proxy fights in recent memory. We look forward to having Rodolfo on board as a key leader on our global Financial Communications team and part of our cross-segment Activism and M&A Solutions practice, helping clients effectively engage with shareholders to advance their strategic objectives.”
A Chartered Financial Analyst, Mr. Araujo brings nearly a decade of experience in analyzing the equity markets. Most recently, his role at ISS’ Special Situations Research Group focused on providing analysis and voting recommendations on proxy fights for board seats, including Procter & Gamble, Arconic, ADP, General Motors, and Buffalo Wild Wings; as well as contested M&A transactions and hostile takeover attempts, including Broadcom/Qualcomm, Dell Technologies’ conversion into Dell Class C, Cigna/Express Scripts, Rite Aid/Albertsons, PrivateBancorp/CIBC, Ensco/Rowan, EQT/Rice, and Hyundai Mobis/Glovis. He frequently engaged with company directors, executive officers, dissident shareholders and institutional investors. Furthermore, over the past three years he was responsible for structuring the financial analysis framework ISS uses to evaluate both contested and uncontested M&A transactions, training ISS’ sector teams on valuation techniques and financial analysis.
Prior to joining ISS, Mr. Araujo served as a Research Analyst at Sands Capital, a growth-oriented global asset manager with approximately $50 billion under management. He performed in-depth fundamental research in the consumer, financial services, life sciences and industrials sectors. Mr. Araujo joined Sands Capital from Inca Investments, a value-oriented equity hedge fund with a focus on Latin America, where he served as an Investment Analyst.
Prior to becoming a financial analyst, Mr. Araujo founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of a marketing service agency based in Brazil. There, he successfully grew the business to 120 employees, and managed relationships with major international clients, including Wal-Mart, Diageo, Vivo and Telefonica. Mr. Araujo began his professional career as an account supervisor at one of Brazil’s largest advertising groups.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Araujo said, “Through my experience, I have a strong perspective on the demands of today’s shareholders, and the impact that a variety of governance practices can have on a company’s valuation and long-term success. I know that FTI Consulting’s global platform, multidisciplinary offering and diverse client base will give me a unique opportunity to share that experience with companies across a number of industries, and I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues to help our clients address the evolving corporate governance landscape.”
About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes: financial, legal, operational, political & regulatory, reputational and transactional. With more than 4,700 employees located in 28 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges and make the most of opportunities. The Company generated $2.03 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2018. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com and connect with us on Twitter (@FTIConsulting), Facebook and LinkedIn.
