Leandro Carvalho
With the Mato Grosso Orchestra, as Music Director and Principal Conductor, Leandro Carvalho has developed a unique approach to programming classical music concerts, combining traditional repertoire with new music from the region. As a conductor and instrumentalist, Leandro has recorded 26 albums, many of them available on-line (type "Orquestra do Estado de Mato Grosso" or "Leandro Carvalho" on Spotify, for example).
From 2011-13 he was Artistic Manager and Assistant Conductor for the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, based in Rio de Janeiro, following which he spent a year on a conducting Fellowship with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the USA.
From 2014-2017, Leandro was Secretary of State for Culture in Mato Grosso, Brazil. He also chaired the forum for Brazil's 27 state secretaries for culture.
Currently, Leandro works as managing partner at EVinvest London, an investment company focused on early stage technology startups.
Clore Leadership Programme was life-changing experience for me.
It helped me to understand better the multiple roles I played in the cultural sector, starting as a classical guitarist, developing into an orchestra conductor; at the same time acting as social entrepreneur, absorbed into politics for a three years mandate as Secretary of State for Brazilian Government, to recently moving into private space as an entrepreneur and investor.
The opportunity to be in London and access great courses and educational institutions was unique.
The course that I attended at London School of Economics (LSE) - Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Finance - allowed me to deep-dive into entrepreneurial challenges in an intellectually rich and diverse environment. I started to develop a clear understanding of what successful entrepreneurs do, how they to do it, and why it matters; and also to develop skills in using durable evidence-based frameworks applicable to complex entrepreneurial dilemmas. It was a precious experience that gave me valuable insights into emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems in media, finance, and design.
As part of CLP, I also had an incredible opportunity to spend time with my mentor, and the choice of him couldn't be better. I'm very grateful to Sharon Armstrong-Williams, Fellowship Manager, who understood the transition that I was in and suggested David Kershaw, global CEO of M&C Saatchi, as a possible mentor. It seemed like a perfect fit because of his unique combination of expertise as an advertising man + Business (with an MBA in London Business School) + Graduate in Politics (first degree) + Orchestral World (board member of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1988 to 1992 and Southbank Centre). Furthermore, he is very committed to the Clore Leadership Programme, being part of the board and personally involved in many activities such as the arduous selection process of new fellows. He accepted me as a mentee, and I felt incredible privilege once again with the perspective of spending some time with such a brilliant person.
Finally, the opportunity of expending two consecutive weeks with the fellows of the Programme, on two occasions, was brilliant. The Clore 14 cohort was truly special, combining valuable individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, but with a shared spirit of generosity and friendship. What a delight to spend days at the lovely surrounding of Eynsham Hall, in Oxford, and later in Winchester, in the last residential course. I believe we have developed a profound bond as a group that will last for a long time.
After CLP (2017/18), I decided to dedicate myself to build up new enterprises, especially in the Creative Industries space, that combines technology and creativity, and strengthen the bonds between Brazil and the UK. I feel prepared and energized to pursue this new objective armed with the comprehensive toolkit for leadership that Clore Leadership Programme provided me.