Roberto Azevêdo

Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo (; born 3 October 1957) is a Brazilian career diplomat who served as Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 2013 until 2020. Since 2020, he has been Executive Vice President and Director of Corporate Affairs at PepsiCo.

Azevêdo was elected to succeed Pascal Lamy as Director-General of the World Trade Organization in May 2013. On 14 May 2020, he announced publicly via a teleconference that he would resign on 31 August the same year, just a year before his second four-year term as Director-General expired.

Early life and education Azevêdo graduated in Electrical Engineering from the University of Brasília and in International Relations at the Rio Branco Institute. Azevêdo being considered the "insider's candidate" preferred by developing economies. His opponent, Mexican Herminio Blanco, was considered to have been the preferred candidate of richer nations.

The official announcement from the WTO's three-person committee for selecting the Director-General was published on 8 May 2013, declaring Azevêdo as the emergent consensus candidate from several rounds of consultation. The formal election occurred at the General Council meeting on 14 May.

Unlike his predecessors in the position, Azevêdo had been a WTO ambassador rather than a minister before taking office. Under his leadership, the WTO agreed to the Bali Package in December 2013. He was reelected on 28 February 2017 and started his second term on 1 September 2017.

Also under Azevêdo, the organization deliberately kept a low profile during the COVID-19 pandemic, staying largely silent over the export restrictions on medical equipment.

Personal life Azevêdo is married to Ambassador Maria Nazareth Farani Azevêdo, a Brazilian career diplomat like himself. She is currently (2020) head of the Brazilian permanent mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva, and they have two daughters.