James Bellini is chairman of the board of directors of Marcopolo. He was CEO of the company from 2019 to 2023 and commercial director of foreign markets for 10 years, during the group’s internationalization period. At the height of the pandemic, Marcopolo innovated in its segment when demand for bus tickets plummeted amid the lockdowns. The company launched a two-aisle, three-row bus configuration with sterilization and auto-disinfection systems to maintain sales levels. Past the worst of the crisis, the company returned to growth and, in 2022, posted net income of R$5.41 billion (US$1.107 billion), up 55% from the previous year. Net profit was R$436.8 million (US$89.4 million), an increase of 21.9% on the same basis of comparison.
