Market entry & subsidiary set-up
Legal entity, org chart, hiring, CLT labour and tax compliance, first-year business plan.
ProofOpened AC&E's new São Paulo branch; built PD7's robotics operation from zero to a 30-person sales and service team.
Country Manager · Managing Director · Head of Robotics
CelsoNisterenko
I open, run and grow Brazilian operations for global robotics and industrial-technology companies.
Focus / service robots
For 25+ years I have represented American, European and Asian manufacturers in Brazil and Latin America: subsidiary set-up, country P&L, sales channels, field service and local compliance. Today I lead the robotics business of PD7 Robotics with Pudu, Unitree, Deep Robotics and Geek+.
São Paulo, Brazil · open to travel and relocation
Online · open to new role
- Payload
- US$ 150M regional P&L
- Reach
- 15+ countries · 3 continents
- Repeatability
- 110%+ of quota, 4 years running
- Degrees of freedom
- English · Português · Español
- Controller
- Electrical Engineer · MBA FGV · Babson
- Duty cycle
- 25+ years in multinationals
Brands represented, integrated or sold in Brazil
- Pudu Robotics
- Geek+
- Unitree
- Deep Robotics
- FANUC
- Mitsubishi Electric
- Instron
- ITW
- AC&E
- Schenck
- Hewlett-Packard
- Motorola
- Ericsson
- Siemens Mendix
- Teltonika
- E80 Group
Customers served
- Audi
- Volkswagen
- Mercedes-Benz
- Ford
- GM
- Fiat
- BYD
- Petrobras
- Johnson & Johnson
- Novo Nordisk
- Embraer
- ArcelorMittal
- Usiminas
- Aperam
- Gerdau
- Braskem
- Electrolux
- Ferrero
- Barilla
- Heinz
- Mercado Livre
- Decathlon
- Flex
- Einstein
- InCor
- INCA
- Fiocruz
- 3M
- BASF
- Bayer
What I bring to a multinational
One accountable executive on the ground in Brazil
Headquarters needs someone who can sign the lease, hire the team, close the first key accounts and explain Brazilian tax, labour and import rules in plain terms. That has been my job for companies from the USA, Italy and China.
Country P&L & board reporting
Annual plan, quarterly reviews, pricing by country, currency and import cost control.
ProofRan a US$ 150M Latin America P&L for ITW, reporting to the Americas VP.
Channels, key accounts & public sector
Distributor and agent networks, OEM and end-user CAPEX sales, tenders and bidding.
ProofLed 70 direct and partner professionals in 10+ countries; 30% regional revenue growth.
Service, localisation & compliance
Field-service model, spare parts, nationalisation, ANVISA, ABNT, ISO, FDA, import/export.
ProofEMIC acquisition: import costs down 35%, lead times down 60%. PD7: service costs down 20%.
Robotics
From FANUC arms in test labs to autonomous robots in malls and hospitals
I have sold, integrated and supported robots for more than 25 years. The technology changed; the job of making it work for Brazilian customers did not.
Service robotsPD7 Robotics · 2024–today
- Pudu cleaning and delivery robots for hospitals, data centres, malls and logistics centres
- Unitree and Deep Robotics quadrupeds and humanoids for inspection, research and events
- Robots @ Mall (2026): delivery and cleaning automation in large public areas
- Speaker at RIW 2025 on data-centre cleaning robots and on humanoids
Intralogistics & AMRGeek+ · e-commerce and retail
- Goods-to-person and robotic sorting solutions from Geek+
- Projects developed with Decathlon and Mercado Livre
- Cargo robots sold to Flex, the Singapore-based manufacturer
- Negotiating Geek+ representation for Brazil
Industrial robotsInstron · ITW · AC&E
- Automated test cells with FANUC and Mitsubishi robots since the early 2000s
- Steel laboratory with 3 robotic stations and 2,500 tensile tests per day
- APERAM Timóteo: first robotised system in the plant, integrated with SAP
- SCARA and 6-axis automation for Electrolux, BYD, Ferrero and Barilla lines
AMRAGVCobotsSCARA6-axisQuadrupedsHumanoidsCleaning robotsDelivery robotsROSIndustry 4.0IoTDigital twin
Global bridge
The link between headquarters and the Brazilian customer
I have worked for, negotiated with and reported to companies on three continents. I translate Brazilian market realities for headquarters, and global products into offers Brazilian buyers accept.
USA
ITW and Instron (24 years), Motorola, Hewlett-Packard, Shorewise Consulting (Michigan), Ransco. Reporting to the Americas VP.
Europe
AC&E (Verona, Italy), Schenck (Germany), Instron UK R&D. Customers Ferrero, Barilla, Goglio. Sales team built in Spain and Portugal.
Asia
Pudu, Geek+, Unitree, Deep Robotics, Kinte, BYD. Business mission to Shenzhen and a correspondent office in China. Customers from Korea.
Brazil & LATAM
Subsidiaries and branches in São Paulo, Curitiba, Buenos Aires, Mexico, Bogotá and Santiago; distributors in Lima and Quito.
Career
Operating roles, most recent first
2024 – today
Brazil
PD7 Robotics
Head of Robotics, Brazil & South America
- Full P&L for the robotics vertical: supplier strategy, business lines, annual plan and quarterly board reports
- Built the operation: org chart, hiring of sales, engineering and service staff (30 people)
- Negotiated partnerships with Pudu, Unitree, Deep Robotics and Geek+; multi-brand AMR/AGV and service-robot portfolio
- Redesigned field service and after-sales, cutting operating costs by 20%
- Business mission to Shenzhen and a correspondent office in China
2023 – 2024
Verona, Italy
AC&E S.r.l.
Director, Brazil & South America
- Restructured the Brazilian subsidiary and opened a new São Paulo branch; revenue up 100% in 12 months
- Onboarded customers from China, Spain, Italy and Korea; built a Brazil–China business model
- Opened the North American market for Brazilian clients, raising exports by 15%
- Adapted Chinese solutions to Brazilian regulation, including ANVISA
- Exclusive-supplier work with Electrolux, BYD, Goglio, Ferrero, Barilla, Heinz and E80 Group
2020 – 2023
Michigan, USA
Shorewise Consulting
Director, Latin America & Europe
- Opened offices in São Paulo, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina; grew the team to 50+ people
- Hired and trained staff in Spain and Portugal to serve Europe with Latin American talent
- US$ 4.5M in new IoT and Industry 4.0 contracts; Mendix low-code partnership with Siemens
- IoT partnership with Teltonika for Rio de Janeiro smart-city projects
2005 – 2020
Illinois & Massachusetts, USA
ITW · Instron
Country Manager Brazil, then Commercial Director Latin America
- US$ 150M regional P&L; 30% revenue growth from pricing and channel restructuring
- 70 professionals (direct sales and partners) across 10+ countries; lead times cut by 40%
- Led the 2008 acquisition of EMIC: valuation, due diligence, integration of 58 technical staff, the Curitiba plant and 5 service centres
- Localised equipment platforms with US and UK R&D, cutting import costs 35% and delivery times 60%
- Key accounts in health and pharma: Ministry of Health, Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk, HCor, INTO, INCA, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein
- Brazilian results highlighted in ITW's 2010 NYSE annual report
1996 – 2005
Brazil
Instron
Sales Engineer, then Sales Manager Brazil
- Responsible for the robotics, automation and custom systems line
- Turnkey Audi test centre in São José dos Pinhais with Schenck and Ransco: four-poster, climate chamber and dynamometer
- Key accounts: Petrobras, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, GM, Fiat, Gerdau, Usiminas, Braskem, USP
- Introduced digital image correlation in Brazil (1999)
Foundation
São Paulo
HP · Ericsson · UNIDO/ABINEE · Motorola
Engineering and product roles
- Hewlett-Packard: medical and laboratory instrumentation projects and the Brazilian calibration lab
- Ericsson: localisation of telecom systems and qualification of local suppliers
- UNIDO/ABINEE: UN industrial subcontracting programme; tariff reductions with the Ministry of Foreign Trade
- Motorola: launch of the PowerPC/Unix server line for Banco do Brasil and Caixa
Industries
Sectors where I have closed and delivered projects
Medical & life sciences
HP medical instrumentation, US$ 5M INT medical-device lab, InCor heart-valve testing, ANVISA implant analysis, ABNT CB-26 committee, robotic surgery.
Automotive
Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, GM and Fiat test systems; BYD automation projects.
Steel & mining
Usiminas, Aperam, Gerdau, ArcelorMittal; robotic laboratories for high-volume testing.
Logistics & e-commerce
Geek+ AMR and sorting for Mercado Livre and Decathlon; cargo robots for Flex.
Energy & aerospace
Petrobras pre-salt equipment simulation, Tenaris pipe testing, Embraer composites, GE Aviation.
Consumer goods
Automation for Electrolux, Ferrero, Barilla and Heinz production lines.
Projects
Selected projects
Photos from the field. More detail on LinkedIn and in the original case files.
Timóteo, MG
APERAM Industry 4.0
Mitsubishi robot, Instron and Buehler instruments and AI software linking lab, production and shipping. Integrated with SAP.
PDF / link ↗
Brazil
Robotic steel laboratory
Three robotic stations running 2,500 tensile tests a day in the largest steel-analysis lab in the southern hemisphere.
Rio de Janeiro
INT · REMATO
US$ 5M medical-device and orthopaedic-implant laboratory, plus the first national implant-evaluation workshop.
PDF / link ↗
São Paulo
InCor heart-valve testing
In-vitro system to test the mechanical strength of cardiac valve walls under simulated physiological conditions.
São José dos Pinhais, PR
Audi test centre
Turnkey four-poster, climate chamber and rolling dynamometer for durability and squeak-and-rattle tests.
Florianópolis, SC
UFSC biomedical lab
Materials and biomechanics laboratory for medical research.
Brasília
Implant analysis for ANVISA
Test methods and equipment for regulatory evaluation of orthopaedic implants.
Brazil
2 MN steel test system
High-capacity system for structural steel testing.
Ipatinga, MG
Usiminas dynamic systems
Dynamic test systems for one of Latin America's largest flat-steel producers.
PDF / link ↗
Brazil
Largest servovalve installed
High-flow hydraulic actuation for a Mitsubishi project.
Brazil
1,200 kN tension system
Large-frame tensile testing for heavy industry.
SENAI and CEETEPS
Mechanical-testing workshops
Training programmes that qualified public technical-school laboratories in São Paulo for high-strength materials testing.
Brazil
Hydraulic pump development
Test benches for hydraulic pump durability.
Also: dental certification for Neodent, syringe development for BD, footwear durability for Nike, medical devices for Fiocruz, SENAI bio-labs, CEETEPS lab network, SAMPE Brasil composite contest (sponsor 2014–2018).
Recognition
Numbers that others recorded
US$ 150Mregional P&L managed at ITW
+100%revenue in 12 months at AC&E Brazil
70professionals led in 10+ countries
64kLinkedIn followers; Favikon Top 1% (2025)
Sales plan attainment at Instron
Percent of annual plan. The line marks 100%.
Awards recorded by Instron: 1999 highest order volume, 2008–2012 above plan, 2014 dynamic quota.
Boards, associations and councils
- ABIMAQ: Vice-President of the Quality Control, Testing and Measurement chamber (2011–2013)
- ABNT CB-26: Brazilian medical, dental and hospital standards committee
- AIST (Association for Iron & Steel Technology) and CREA-SP
- exGV Advisory Council (FGV alumni), since 2020
- GLG Council Member and Dialectica expert advisor
- Corporate Connections, co-founder of the Brazil chapter
- Mackenzie University: mentor for the Brazilian Rocket Olympiad (MOBFOG)
- iSAW International: Brazil ambassador for gender equity
Recommendations
What colleagues say
His ability to develop innovative solutions while keeping the focus on the larger goal is remarkable. [...] His capability to convey complex ideas in an understandable manner has significantly contributed to our team's success.
An exceptional expert in the field of robotics. [...] He consistently demonstrates a profound comprehension of both the theoretical and practical aspects of robotics, which he expertly applies to develop solutions that are not only practical but also innovative.
Articles and talks
- Robótica no Brasil: muito mais que substituição, uma oportunidade de evoluçãoLinkedIn article · Sep 2025
- Data-centre cleaning robots · panelRIW 2025
- Humanoid robots and their social impact · talkRIW 2025
- IoT ou NoT?LinkedIn article · Feb 2025
- Geração Beta verá a troca do séculoLinkedIn article · Jan 2025
Education & languages
MBA, International BusinessFGV · Fundação Getulio Vargas
Entrepreneurial LeadershipBabson College, USA
B.Sc. Electrical EngineeringUniversidade São Judas Tadeu · CREA-SP
Quality management, ISO 10011 auditorFundação Vanzolini
Training: FANUC robotics programming · SPIN Selling (Huthwaite) · Mendix low-code (Siemens) · Python (GTx) · Disney quality service · IELTS 8.5 (C1)
Portuguesenative
Englishfluent
Spanishfluent
Contact
Planning to start or scale in Brazil?
I am available for Country Manager, Managing Director, General Manager and Head of Robotics roles with multinationals in Brazil and Latin America. Based in São Paulo, available for travel and relocation.
Celso NisterenkoCountry Manager · Managing Director · Head of Robotics
Local time in São Paulo: --:-- (UTC−3)
WeChat 微信engnisterenko
Emailcelso@nisterenko.com
Phone / WhatsApp+55 11 96233-9000
LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/celsonisterenko