Pérsio Arida is a Brazilian economist and a Former President of the Central Bank of Brazil.
Career
In the 1970s, he was a part of the student activist movement in Brazil, and was arrested and tortured. He has a Bachelor"s degree in Economics from University of São Paulo and a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has served the Brazilian government by taking part in the crafting of the Plano Real.
More specifically, he was one of the creators of the Unidade Real de Valor, a non-monetary currency and the most sophisticated and theoretical piece of the Plano Real.
In 1995, he served as the president of the Central Bank of Brazil and Special Secretary of Social-Economic Coordination, Ministry of Planning. Personally, he is also a fan of classical music
Membership
In the private sector, he was a board member of Banco Itaú Holding Financeira South America and Banco Itaú South America, board member of Sul-América South.A, director of Opportunity Asset Management Limitada, board member of Unibanco South America and special adviser for the presidency and director of Brasil Warrant Limited. Since the 1970s, he has also worked as an economic and financial consultant. As of 2008, he is working as a member of the executive council of the Instituto Moreira Salles.
He is also a member of the International Advisory Board at the Blavatnik School of Government (University of Oxford).