SoftBank Appoints Alex Szapiro Operating Partner and Head of Brazil for Latin America Fund

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SoftBank Group Corp. (“SoftBank”) today announced that Alex Szapiro, currently Country Manager for Amazon Brazil, will join SBLA Advisers Corp. (“SBLA”), manager of the SoftBank Latin America Fund, as Operating Partner and Head of Brazil, effective April 13, 2021. Mr. Szapiro will be based in São Paulo and will oversee the Latin America Fund’s investments, operations and team in Brazil. He will report to Marcelo Claure, Corporate Officer, Executive Vice President and COO of SoftBank Group Corp., CEO of and CEO of SBLA.

"Alex brings an impressive business and entrepreneurial track record in Brazil and unrivaled insights into the country’s investment landscape,” said Mr. Claure. “We're thrilled to welcome someone of Alex’s caliber as Head of Brazil as we continue to look across Latin America for companies that are shaping the future of the region.”

Mr. Szapiro commented, “SoftBank has been ahead of the curve in recognizing the enormous potential of Brazil and Latin America’s startup and innovation ecosystem. The opportunities for entrepreneurs in Latin America have never been greater, and I am excited to partner with Marcelo and the SBLA team to invest in the region’s most promising founders and help them achieve their goals.”

Mr. Szapiro brings more than 25 years of experience managing corporate and entrepreneurial ventures at leading technology companies across Brazil. Most recently, Country Manager of Amazon Brazil, he was responsible for initiating startup operations in the country and executing long-term expansion strategies, including the in-country launches of Kindle, FireTV and Alexa and its retail and marketplace growth. Prior to Amazon, Mr. Szapiro served as Country Manager for Apple Brazil where he significantly grew and improved local operations. Earlier in his career, Mr. Szapiro held a variety of leadership and managerial positions at Palm, Submarino S/A, Motorola and Citibank. He received a BS in Marketing and Advertising from Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado, Brazil.

About SoftBank Group

The SoftBank Group invests in breakthrough technology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. The SoftBank Group is comprised of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984), an investment holding company that includes stakes in telecommunications, internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology providers; the SoftBank Vision Funds, which are investing up to US$100 billion to help extraordinary entrepreneurs transform industries and shape new ones; the US$5 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund, the largest venture fund in that region, and the SB Opportunity Fund, a US$100 million venture fund dedicated to investing in enterprises founded by entrepreneurs of color in the U.S.