The news came this past weekend. Our friend and colleague Emilio Garofalo Filho has passed away. My friend and IMTC Advisory Board Member Daniel Trias told me the sad news. Daniel was shaken. He had just had lunch with Emilio two weeks ago where they both discussed IMTC BRASIL 2016, the Conference to take place in Sao Paulo in April next year. Emilio was going to be a speaker and was helping Daniel, IMTC BRASIL Coordinator, with the Agenda on subjects and speakers. He had participated as a speaker in Miami in 2011 and in IMTC BRASIL in 2014. He was only 63 years old.
The news in Valor read: “The former head of the external area of the Central Bank of Brasil Emilio Garofalo Filho was found dead early on Friday in his apartment in the Pinheiros district of São Paulo. Garofalo Filho lived alone and was found by the cleaning lady. Suspicion of family and friends is that the cause was a heart attack. The body must follow to Brasilia, where he lives his ex-wife and two sons of Garofalo.
Born in 1953 in Bernardino de Campos, São Paulo, Garofalo descended from an Italian family of Caserta region. His father, Emilio Garofalo, was the family’s first born in Brazil. Degree in economics from the Pontifical University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) in 1976, became a career employee of the Central Bank in the following year, where he remained for almost 36 years. He was director of the international area in Arminio Fraga management, between December 1992 and April 1993. From January 2011 to April 2013, was executive secretary of the Foreign Trade Chamber (Camex). Then he retired.
Emilio worked with the Central Bank since 1977. He managed several high level departments and he was credited with major reforms in Brazil’s Financial Services Regulation, specially Foreign Exchange and Remittances. Besides he was a teacher at prestigious universities in Sao Paulo and Brasilia. He lived by himself in Sao Paulo and apparently died peacefully in his sleep. Rest in Peace Emilio.