Marcelo Zenkner

Marcelo Zenkner is a Managing Director in FTI Consulting’s Forensic & Litigation Consulting segment. Marcelo is a highly engaged professional specializing in the development of proactive corporate policies aimed at preventing financial and reputational impacts. His focus lies on critical areas such as crisis management, compliance programs and integrity systems. He possesses extensive experience in both public and private sectors, where he is known for his distinctive ability to understand the inherent peculiarities of each and to overcome barriers to mutual understanding effectively.

At the core of his role, Marcelo leads internal investigations and analyzes and presents solutions that safeguard companies in cases of misconduct. Additionally, he excels in developing environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) policies within the corporate context. His career path includes significant stints at the Public Prosecutor's Office, Petrobras and in the private sector, providing him with a unique advantage in guiding companies through strategy formulation and defensive litigation related to these issues.

With this in-depth knowledge, Marcelo plays a crucial role in demystifying complexities and facilitating effective cooperation between public and private sectors, thus avoiding potential pitfalls in this dynamic environment.

Marcelo was partner and co-head of Regulatory Practice Group at TozziniFreire Advogados and Chief Governance and Compliance Officer at Petrobras. During his term, the effectiveness of Petrobras' integrity program and the corruption prevention measures implemented were recognized by several international bodies, including the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”).

As prosecutor in Espirito Santo State (1997–2019), Marcelo held several jobs fighting corruption and organized crime. Prior to that experience, he assisted the governor of Espírito Santo State regarding the treasury and public assets and the government's transparency policies as Secretary of State of Comptroller and Transparency of Espírito Santo State. He speaks Portuguese and English.

Relevant Experience:

• Investigated and prosecuted eight town councillors and three secretaries for the mismanagement of public funds and embezzlement; the mayor of that city was prosecuted and imprisoned by the Court of Justice for the same crimes
• Undertook the position with prosecutorial discretion to defend public assets and fight against Official Misconduct acts (Brazilian Federal Law 8429); between 2006 and 2011, he started more than 140 Official Misconduct Actions with great repercussion, including the Ghost Associations case, the Overpriced Insurance case and the Fraudulent Payment of Daily Incomes case
• Initiated Official Misconduct Actions against the former Governor and the former President of the Audit Court for embezzlement; he also performed several investigations into and started processing the police officers involved with the Funeral Mafia and the Winches Mafia
• Participated in part of “The Shipwreck Operation” as a partner of Federal Police and Federal Public Prosecution, which sent some Judges of State Court of Espírito Santo to jail; alongside others prosecutors, he initiated an Official Misconduct Action against judges involved in a fraudulent competitive examination
• Initiated a civil action to ban the anonymous app Secret from mobile phones over concerns about the spread of cyber-bullying in Brazil, the users of the app could post messages or pictures without their identity being revealed