Serra is now a consultant.
Without a voice in the PSDB, the presidential candidate opens Apecs, focused on business management; the former president of Sabesp is his partner.
Former governor José Serra (PSDB) has opened a consulting firm, joining the growing group of politicians who, without holding elected office, have entered the private sector providing services. The defeated presidential candidate in 2010 registered Apecs Consultoria e Assessoria em Gestão Empresarial with the São Paulo Commercial Registry almost four months ago, with the aim of giving lectures and coordinating the publication of articles. Serra writes bi-weekly for the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo.
The company, a limited liability company, occupies a suite in a commercial building on Rua Artur de Azevedo, in Pinheiros, in the western part of the city of São Paulo.
According to data from the Commercial Registry, Apecs' corporate purpose is business management consulting activities, excluding specific technical consulting, book publishing, and the organization of fairs, congresses, exhibitions, and parties. Educational support activities are also listed as an area of operation for the company.
Serra's partner in Apecs, an acronym for Economic and Social Perspective Analysis, is the economist Gesner Oliveira, who was president of Sabesp during Serra's tenure as governor of São Paulo (2007-2010). Gesner also served as president of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade) during the government of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002).
Production
The company was founded on April 12th of this year, with a share capital of R$ 10. Serra appears as a partner, administrator of Apecs, and responsible for signing on behalf of the company, with a stake of R$ 9,9. Gesner is a minority partner, with a symbolic stake of R$ 100. He owns GO Associados, which provides consulting services mainly in the area of economic regulation and environmental management.
When contacted for comment regarding Apecs' activities, Serra said, through his press office, that he needs a private company to receive payment for his intellectual output.
anti-friction
In his office, Serra has also been engaged in political maneuvering. He receives leaders from parties allied with the PSDB and union leaders there. The PSDB member is considered by members of his party to be the candidate for mayor of São Paulo in 2012. Serra, however, has stated that he does not intend to run for mayor. Allies say that the PSDB member intends to run for president again in 2014.