Every year, G5 Partners recognizes, through the Francisco Gros Award for Excellence, institutions and individuals whose mission is to improve the world. This year, we awarded Instituto Cesar Cielo. The Institute’s representatives, Cesar Cielo and Flávia Cielo, had a chat with the employees of G5 Partners, who watched the awards via Zoom, and talked about their journey.
“We selected Instituto Cesar Cielo mainly because of the inspiration that Cesar and Flávia transmitted to us for each initiative and action they experienced since 2010”, commented Levindo Santos, senior partner at G5.
The Name Behind the Award
Francisco was a partner at G5 Partners and an important figure in the Brazilian financial market, with extensive career in investment banking, having also served as CEO the Central Bank of Brazil and Petrobras.
During his 3 years at G5, he left an excellent example on how we can contribute, even while being successful in our careers, to the collective development of a country. For this reason, in 2016, his name was chosen for this very special award sponsored by G5 Partners, which aims to value initiatives and contributions made in favor of society.
About the Institute
During the discussion with Levindo and Wagner, Flávia Cielo explained that the Institute was founded in 2010, with the mission of encouraging, promoting and developing competitive swimming activities in Brazil. She also said this was the first award received by the Institute.
Flávia highlighted the desire they had to invest in swimming, which is still very selective and expensive to practice. “His (Cesar) achievements, since he was little until now, shows us that sports changes people’s lives. And that’s what we wanted to show by creating this Institute. We want to offer opportunities to those who don’t have it.”
Cesar continued: “I always looked at sport as a tool. Academic scholarships, training… it offered me with things I had never imagined”, and this shows how sports can bring knowledge, experiences, discipline, and dedication to every child.
As for the future, Cesar commented that over the next 10 years, he wants to see the Institute gradually grow, emphasizing the quality of the work being done and the long-term progress of each participant, which is what matters most.
Challenges and legacy
At the end of the chat, Flavia and Cesar commented on the challenges of the third sector. They pointed out that the Institute operates as a company, with qualified employees who are committed with their work and the Institute’s proper management.
Cesar concluded by stating that every time he won a competition, all he wanted to do was “show others that it is possible to win. More than just numbers and medals, this is our legacy: to show that everything is possible!”
After the discussion, Flavia and Cesar participated in a special lunch with the partners and founders of G5 Partners to formally celebrate the award.