Spotlight: Liam Gallagher

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I left Northern Ireland in 1979 after graduating in modern languages from Queen’s University, Belfast and went to London to join an international trainee programme of a major UK bank and, at the same time, try to work out the future of my relationship with my girlfriend from my university years, since we were on opposite sides of the religious divide in Northern Ireland at that time. Sadly, this didn’t work out, though we are still good friends and stay in contact after all these years.

You’ve been in Brazil a long time. How has that changed your outlook on life?

I’ve always been very flexible when it comes to different cultures, and my first two years in Brazil saw me living and working in Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Bahia and São Paulo, which gave me many insights into Brazilian society. If anything has changed in my outlook on life it’s the importance of being open-minded, but without taking things at face value. Brazilian society is a complex one, with certain well-established, if unwritten, rules and principles.

What has been the hardest and best parts of this journey for you?

The hardest part initially was dealing with how Brazilians always looked for a way of getting around certain standards of citizenship/behaviour, the famous “jeitinho”. Let me just add in many cases this was the only way to get things done. Having lived in the Soviet Union for four months in 1977, I could understand why. I was always told to be careful not to be taken advantage of as a newly arrived foreigner. I was made aware of this before leaving London to come here, but experiencing it first-hand was quite different. The best part of the journey was, and continues to be, meeting different types of Brazilians in a multifaceted, multicultural melting pot. There are many “Brasis”, and it has been a tremendous cultural experience, especially during the first 5 years or so, a sometimes-steep learning curve, as Brazilians in different regions relate differently to foreigners on both the professional and personal levels.

“If anything has changed in my outlook on life it’s the importance of being open-minded, but without taking things at face value.”

What is something you think Brazil does better than Northern Ireland?

That’s a good question, as there are so many similarities, and I’ve been away from Northern Ireland for many years. But if I had to indicate one thing it would be their ability to react to adversity, never losing their optimism no matter what. People who have lived through dictatorship, and virtual hyperinflation know how to adapt to survive.

What is something that still surprises you about Brazil?

I’m not sure if it surprises me negatively or positively, but mandatory voting remains in force, an anachronism that has resisted modernization.

How has the business environment changed since you’ve been here?

There’s an old French proverb: “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”, and although a lot has changed over the years as the country has sought to become a serious international player, certain things still leave a lot to be desired, for example, opening a company and, more importantly, closing one. The latter is particularly work intensive. The banking system has modernised substantially, especially since the advent of the fintechs, but the incumbent banks still dominate in terms of their percentage of banking assets and liabilities, and fees are still high. On the upside, the foreign exchange system has shed some of its erstwhile shackles, making it more flexible and efficient through the increased use of technology. But the bottom line is that in spite of all of this, in certain quarters the country is still considered very bureaucratic and not very business friendly.

What’s something about working with Brazilian companies that is misunderstood in your view?

There’s no quick deal-making. When I worked as a consultant for the British Chamber of Commerce here, interacting with visiting UK trade missions, I would always stress that, contrary to popular belief in certain quarters, Brazilian businesspeople are not an easy touch. The assumption that they are not very savvy and lacking in business acumen could not be further from the truth. If you want to do business here, you have to win the trust of your potential Brazilian business partner. This requires work and dedication, staying in touch, it’s a process. I used to hear complaints from Brazilian companies that visiting businesspeople believed they could “come, see and conquer”. A visit would be arranged, platitudes exchanged, then the visitors would disappear back to the UK. No further contact, not even a thank-you e-mail, no follow-up. Brazilians take their business and their business partnerships seriously and expect others to respect this and do the same.

What advice would you give to Northern Irish companies considering entering the Brazilian market?

Referring back to my previous response – do your homework, especially a PESTL study, spending a bit of money before coming here so as not to have to spend a lot more if the enterprise goes south later. Brazil is still an emerging market, but is modernising rapidly and is definitely not for amateurs. Don’t always presume that your hosts speak English, so acquiring a basic survival knowledge of the local language is recommended, or hire a good interpreter familiar with the language and culture. For unwary businesspeople, the country can be a minefield, or a swamp, choose your metaphor. Mistakes made at the outset can come back to haunt later on. An organisation like the Irish Business Network Brazil can serve as a source of information and support, building bridges to contacts and finding leads.

“Brazilian Portuguese is considered one of the most difficult languages for foreigners to acquire. But, in most cases your Brazilian hosts will like it if you strive to speak a little of their language.”

If you could give one piece of advice to someone from Northern Ireland considering making the move to Brazil, what would it be?

Like a company, do your homework, too. In this case, study the social and economic pros and cons you can expect. The IBNB can help here, too. Our members have been here for many years, entrepreneurs in their own right, but also with their respective families, and know what it takes. And last but not least, try to acquire some basic survival knowledge of the language. Brazilian Portuguese is considered one of the most difficult languages for foreigners to acquire. But, in most cases your Brazilian hosts will like it if you strive to speak a little of their language.