Maria Helena Santana

Maria Helena Santana

Maria Helena Santana is a non-executive director and chair of the Nomination, Compensation and Governance Committee of Oi S.A., a Brazilian telecom company listed in Brazil and in the US, since 2018. She is also a non-executive director and chair of the Audit Committee of XP Inc., a Brazilian financial services company listed in NASDAQ, since 2019.

Maria is a member of the Câmara Consultiva de Emissores e Estruturadores of B3 (B3 – the Brazilian stock and derivatives exchange’s Issuers and Underwriters Advisory Committee) and of the Governance and Nominating Committee of the IIRC. She is also a member of the Latin-American Corporate Governance Roundtable of the OECD.

Maria was also the Executive Chairman of the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission – CVM from July 2007 to July 2012. In that capacity, she was a member of the Financial Stability Board – FSB from 2009 to 2012. Before being appointed as Chair, Maria was a Commissioner of the CVM from July 2006 to July 2007.

She was also Chairman of the Executive Committee of IOSCO – International Organization of Securities Commissions from 2011 to 2012. In that capacity, Maria was a member of the IIRC. She was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the IFRS Foundation, from 2014 to 2019.

Maria was a non-executive director of the Bolsas y Mercados Espanoles – BME, Spanish exchange, OTC and market infrastructures operator, self-listed in Spain, from 2016 to 2020. She was a member of the Audit Committee of Itau Unibanco Holding S.A., a Brazilian financial holding company listed in Brazil and in the US, from 2014 to 2020. She was a non-executive director and chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee of Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao S.A. – CBD, from 2013 to 2017, a non-executive director and chairman of the Audit Committee of Totvs S.A., from 2013 to 2017 and a non-executive director of CPFL Energia S.A. from 2013 to 2015.

Prior to this, Maria worked for the São Paulo Stock Exchange – BOVESPA (now B3 S.A.) for 12 years, acting as Head of Listings and Issuer Relations from 2000 to June 2006. She was involved from the start with the creation of the Novo Mercado and the Corporate Governance Listing Tiers, having been in charge of their implementation.

Maria was also vice-chairman of the IBGC – Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance, from 2004 to 2006, and a member of its Board of Directors from 2001 to 2006. She holds a BA in Economics from the Faculdade de Economia e Administração da Universidade de São Paulo – USP, Brazil.