The Embassy of Brazil was present at the award ceremony of the Leadership Award 2026 to entrepreneur Luiza Helena Trajano, held as part of the 15th edition of South Summit, one of the main international meetings on entrepreneurship and innovation in Europe.
The award was presented by King Felipe VI and recognized the business trajectory and social impact of the Brazilian entrepreneur.
The ambassador of Brazil, Luiz Alberto Figueiredo, and the General Consul of Brazil in Madrid, Maria Angélica Ikeda, participated in the ceremony, which also included the presence of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain, Luis Planas, and the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida.
Luiza Helena Trajano, who is the chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Magazine Luiza and founder of the Grupo Mulheres do Brasil, received the recognition for a career marked by innovation, business leadership, and her contribution to social development.
Luiza Helena Trajano’s career is closely linked to the modern economic evolution of Brazil. As chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Magazine Luiza, her strategic leadership was crucial in steering the transformation of a small family business, originally established in 1957 in the interior of the state of São Paulo, into one of the largest retail and technology conglomerates in the country.
Beyond her achievements in financial results, Trajano has used her position in senior management to drive significant reforms in Brazilian civil society, advocating for universal access to education, female entrepreneurship, and human dignity. Her most notable social milestone is the founding in 2013 of the Grupo Mulheres do Brasil.
The award has been granted to her, according to the organization, “for being an example that the truth of leadership is not measured only by the size of what is built, but by the social impact it leaves.”
Founded by María Benjumea and co-organized by IE University, South Summit annually brings together startups, investors, companies, universities, and institutions from around the world with the aim of promoting alliances, boosting innovation, and facilitating new investment opportunities.
