“Education and respect for work and for those who produce have guided my posture and professional work,” said Heckel Pedreira about the training he received through the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO). Pedreira is the founder and President and CEO of the Icatu Bahia Group, a company specialized in professional recruitment and selection.

The entrepreneur had his first contact with TEO when he provided services to the then Unimar supermarket chain, administrated by Odebrecht during the 1990s. “Once I became a partner, I received the book Educação pelo Trabalho (“Education Through Work”), and a short time later, Sobreviver, Crescer e Perpetuar (“Survival, Growth and Perpetuity”) [both written by Norberto Odebrecht, founder of the Group],” he explained.

Since it was developed over 70 years ago and systematized in books, TEO has extended beyond the walls of Odebrecht. Considered a philosophy of life focused on education and work, it has been used as the basis for training new entrepreneurs and managing other groups, such as the Icatu Bahia Group.

Among the Top Four

Working to expand his business on a national level, Heckel Pedreira celebrates earning the fourth position in a ranking elaborated by the Great Place to Work consulting firm. Announced in May, the ranking listed the best small and medium-sized companies to work at in Bahia. “We treat our employees like clients and we give them the same importance that we give our external public,” emphasized the entrepreneur when explaining the distinction.

With this spirit, he now wants to disseminate TEO among leaders and team members at the Icatu Bahia Group. For this purpose, he has acquired the complete collection of works through the Odebrecht Foundation, which is responsible for selling the publications through the Editorial Program. “We are encouraging the reading of this material because we believe this will help encourage alignment with our culture, and as a consequence, improve our results,” he said.

The foundation is responsible for publishing and selling the TEO books, some in three languages and in a digital version (e-book). Works such as De que Necessitamos? (“What Do We Need?”) and Educação pelo Trabalho (“Education Through Work”) highlight the Odebrecht culture and disseminate this knowledge to successive generations. The income earned from the sale of these publications is directed toward the Social Programs supported by the institution.