Leonardo Calixto

Leonardo Calixto is the founder and CEO of Empírica Investimentos, a Brazilian asset management firm.1 Here are some key details about him:

Professional Background

Leonardo Calixto has a strong background in finance and investment management. He is an experienced Managing Partner with a demonstrated history of working in the financial industry.2

Education

Calixto has a solid educational foundation:

• He is a mechanical engineer, graduated from the Military Institute of Engineering (IME-RJ)
• He also holds a postgraduate degree, though the specific field is not mentioned3

Empírica Investimentos

Under Calixto's leadership, Empírica Investimentos has grown significantly:

• The company manages approximately R$ 9 billion in assets
• 90% of this volume is invested in over 40 FIDCs (Credit Rights Investment Funds)
• The firm focuses on structured and diversified credit1

Business Strategy

Calixto has been steering the company towards new strategic directions:

• He aims to increase the proportion of institutional and offshore investors in their client base
• The company is targeting pension funds, capitalization companies, insurance firms, and pension providers
• They are also prospecting international institutional investors1

Market Insights

Calixto has shown a keen understanding of market dynamics:

• He acknowledged that the first half of 2023 was the worst period for fixed income in the last 20 years
• He has spoken about the impact of high interest rates and the contraction of private credit on the market1

Leonardo Calixto co-founded Empírica Investimentos along with Aquiles Feldman and José Eduardo Assunção. They met while working at HSBC bank, and their company has experienced rapid growth since its inception.4