LinkedIn opens first Latin American office in Brazil
São Paulo, Brazil — November 30, 2011 — LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD), the world's largest professional network with more than 135 million members worldwide today announced the opening of its first office in Brazil. The São Paulo office will serve as regional headquarters to nearly 14 million LinkedIn members across Latin America, providing support for growth and development in the region.
LinkedIn also announced the appointment of Osvaldo Barbosa de Oliveira as country manager of LinkedIn Brazil. He will lead efforts to increase awareness and adoption of LinkedIn in Brazil with a focus on user engagement, strategic partnerships, marketing, sales and general operations. Oliveira will also continue to help grow LinkedIn’s three lines of business – member subscriptions, marketing solutions and hiring solutions – in Brazil.
Oliveira joins LinkedIn with 30 years of experience in the Internet and technology sectors. He was with Microsoft for 21 years in Brazil and the U.S. and led the development of Microsoft’s online business in Brazil and managed end-user product marketing for Windows 7 and Windows Phone. His experience also includes serving as president of the Brazilian branch of the Interactive Advertising Bureau in 2007.
“There is a huge opportunity in Brazil for LinkedIn’s growth, and I’m excited to oversee the opening of our first office and the establishment of a local team,” said Oliveira. “This is a great first step in the expansion of our presence in Latin America, as I’m looking forward to helping Brazilian professionals become more productive and successful on LinkedIn.”
“Having a presence in Latin America is vital for LinkedIn as we want to provide relevant, local support for our growing member and customer base. Osvaldo brings an incredible depth of knowledge in the online sector and an intimate knowledge of the Brazilian market which will help to guide our growth in the region,” said Mike Gamson, SVP of global sales at LinkedIn.
Since the launch of a Portuguese-language version in April 2010, LinkedIn’s membership in Brazil has grown six-fold to more than six million professionals. LinkedIn has nearly 14 million members across Latin America including members in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. These professionals use LinkedIn to build and maintain their professional identity online, connect with their network of trusted contacts, gain access to business insights and expertise, make recommendations, follow and find information on companies, participate in discussions and industry groups and discover new opportunities.
About LinkedIn
Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. With more than 135 million members worldwide, including executives from every Fortune 500 company, LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the Internet. The company has a diversified business model with revenue coming from member subscriptions, marketing solutions and hiring solutions. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, LinkedIn also has offices across North America, as well as throughout Europe, Asia and Australia.