Janine De Nes, CFO Latam at RX, joins UBRAFE position focusing on tax reform and increasing female participation in the events sector

Executive to Join the Fiscal Council, Aiming to Promote Gender Equality in the Sector

On the 12th of this month, UBRAFE (Brazilian Union of Trade Fairs and Business Events) held a general assembly to report financial results and elect the future leadership for the 2024/2026 term. The ticket led by President Paulo Ventura was re-elected unanimously. Among the nine vice presidents, six council members, and one international director, is Janine De Nes, CFO Latam at RX, and the first woman to represent the company in the organization, a key reference in the sector.

Collaborative Role at UBRAFE

With this invitation, Janine assumes the mission of increasing RX’s involvement with UBRAFE, particularly to discuss and closely monitor the implications of the tax reform approved last December by the Chamber of Deputies, which is currently at the regulation stage.

The spokesperson envisions playing a collaborative role. As part of one of the largest companies in the industry, she witnesses firsthand the challenges surrounding current discussions that demand the entity's attention, such as tax impacts and ESG matters.

Advocacy for Gender Equity and Female Representation

The executive also has a key focus on fostering solutions for a more united events industry. Within this framework, one of the main topics will be promoting female representation in the segment.

According to Janine, it is essential that both companies and governments create public policies to address this issue. She also emphasizes that the decision to have children and the legally guaranteed maternity leave period shouldn’t mark the end of a woman’s career.

RX Initiatives for Women

Actively participating in RX’s mentorship programs for women in finance (Women at Finance) and technology (Women in Tech), Janine intends to bring these and other experiences to make the organization a more equitable space with more female leadership. At RX Brazil, for instance, 57% of the leadership team is composed of women.

Another example of RX’s efforts to encourage female participation in events is the “Com Elas na Fenatran” program, created with a focus on the transportation segment. “The main challenge for a woman in a leadership position is society’s belief that she needs to handle everything or fit into certain molds. Women don’t just seek roles; they are prepared to take them on,” Janine emphasizes.

Career Journey at Deloitte, Buscapé, and Groupon

Janine became CFO Latam at RX in 2020, having previously worked at major corporations like Deloitte, Buscapé, and Groupon, always in auditing and controlling functions.

Her first experience in the events sector came in 2016 as CFO Brazil for Eventim Brasil, where she worked for around two years before joining RX. “When I joined RX, the challenge was to unify the financial area of the RELX group in Brazil, managing accounting and tax matters while fostering the company’s growth,” Janine highlights.

Initially serving as Brazil’s financial director during the pandemic with many operations being consolidated, Janine was invited to take on a new challenge in Mexico, stepping into the CFO Latam role. Her goal was to consolidate the RELX group’s support functions, overseeing all tax and accounting operations.

“At the beginning, leading Latin America was a bigger challenge because of the new cultures, different working hours, and various events. However, working for a multinational that shares the same values makes a huge difference. At RX, for instance, the NIMBLE culture is ingrained in every country, so whether you're in Mexico, the US, or Brazil, you’re still part of RX. On the other hand, dealing with taxes and bureaucracy in Mexico is extremely complex. The team there, mostly composed of women, had never experienced female leadership before. Bringing this team together has been an enriching experience for all of us,” Janine concludes.