Mário Luiz Menel da Cunha

Mário Luiz Menel da Cunha is one of the most influential electrical engineers in contemporary Brazil. Born on June 3, 1945 in the state of Paraná, he forged his training at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), from which he graduated as an Electrical Engineer, and in that same house of studies he later completed a master's degree and an MBA with specialization in Electrical Power Systems.

His professional career began at CELESC —Power Stations of Santa Catarina, the state power company in southern Brazil— where he became Director on two different occasions, a recognition that reflects both his technical expertise and his leadership capacity. At the same time, he held a professorship at UFSC itself, contributing to the training of generations of Brazilian engineers.

In the public sector, Menel held high-ranking positions in the Government of Santa Catarina, in the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME/DNAEE) and in the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil, consolidating a vision that transcends engineering to encompass public energy policy at the national level. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of ELETROSUL —Power Stations of Southern Brazil— and led first-level trade associations: APINE, ABRACEEL, ABRAGEF, ABREN and the Santa Catarina Association of Engineers.

Currently, Mário Menel simultaneously chairs three institutions of enormous weight in the Brazilian technical and scientific ecosystem: the Brazilian National Academy of Engineering (ANE), the Brazilian Association of Investors in Self-Production of Energy (ABIAPE) and the Energy Sector Action Forum (FASE). He also heads Energetica Tech, an electrical engineering consulting company, and his voice is a reference in major debates about the opening of the free energy market and hydroelectric expansion in Brazil. As president of the ANE, he has promoted national engineering conferences and vocational promotion programs among high school students, continuing the legacy of engineer Francis Bogossian, Full Member of the API. His incorporation into the Pan-American Academy of Engineering represents the natural encounter between Brazil's technical leadership and the continental engineering community.