Gustavo Augusto chairs farewell session as President of CADE

During the Tribunal’s session held on 8 April 2026, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) said goodbye to President Gustavo Augusto.

Several members of the antitrust community participated and paid tribute to him, remembering his achievements throughout the tenure that began in 2022.

During the opening ceremony, Alexandre Cordeiro, former President of CADE, highlighted Mr Augusto’s journey, especially his dedication and commitment to the institution. “He is an extremely dedicated professional, with exceptional technical expertise, and has worked tirelessly for CADE’s development,” he stated.

Mr Cordeiro also emphasised the President’s performance in the Tribunal, characterised by his institutional loyalty and transparency. “As a Commissioner, Gustavo Augusto always showed allegiance to the agency, with open and clear standpoints, leading to more reliable and credible decisions”.

On behalf of the Tribunal, Commissioner Carlos Jacques mentioned the recognition of Mr Augusto’s work by the agency’s members throughout the term. “There is a deep sense of gratitude for his dedication and the results achieved over the years,” he said.

In conclusion, Mr Jacques spoke about the President’s future. “His tenure has been very successful, and I am certain that his future aspirations will soon become a reality,” he concluded.

In turn, Alexandre Barreto, Superintendent General, praised the agency’s leadership under Mr Augusto’s tenure, and also highlighting the institutional progress achieved during the period: “You have masterfully fulfilled your duties, leading CADE with balance, firmness, and a strong sense of responsibility”.

Mr Barreto also reinforced the President’s legacy to the institution:“Your work made CADE institutionally stronger, with solid foundation to tackle future challenges”.

Lílian Marques, Chief-Economist of the Department of Economic Studies (DEE), mentioned “Mr Augusto’s administration will be remembered for promoting the production of applied knowledge through relevant initiatives, particularly in the fuel sector”.

André Freire, Attorney General, added that“everyone who works in the administration leaves an important mark, contributing to enhance and improve CADE’s work over time”.

Finally, Bertrand Wanderer, Head of the Office of the President, reminded the President’s institutional journey. While recalling significant cases reviewed, he emphasised consistency and accountability in Mr Augusto’s work.

“Your career has been marked by technical accuracy, responsibility, and public commitment. The same dedication that guided your work here will continue to yield significant results wherever you go,” Mr Wanderer stated.

Farewell

In his farewell speech, President Gustavo Augusto cited key figures regarding the agency’s performance during his tenure, highlighting the progress made on several sectors. He also mentioned the importance of cycles to strengthen public governance. “It was an honour to be part of the Tribunal and administration changes are fundamental to empower the organisation”.

The President added that times of leadership transition are ideal for reflecting on the path previously taken and the challenges ahead.

Journey

Gustavo Augusto became a member of the Tribunal in 2022, and President of the authority in July 2025. Throughout his time at CADE, Mr Augusto has established himself as a leader on strategic issues for the market, expanded institutional dialogue, and strengthened his position as one of the leading competition authorities on the international scenario.

One of his most notable initiatives was prioritasing the fuel market in the new institutional approaches. It aimed at monitoring and fighting against anticompetitive practices, in this significant sector both for the Brazilian economy and consumers.

In addition, he worked on further discussions regarding competition in digital markets and technical activities with other public entities, including the Brazilian Congress.

In this context, CADE was part of relevant debates on regulatory challenges in the digital economy, and contributed to legislative proposals on the matter, reinforcing its role as a technical reference in the development of public policies.

Mr Augusto’s administration was also characterised by the reinforcement of institutional dialogue, with CADE’s participation in Brazilian and international events, and the promotion of discussions on competition policy.

This campaign contributed to the authority’s international recognition, as it was ranked among the world’s top six antitrust agencies, achieving a 4.5-star rating for the first time in the 2025 Enforcement Rating compiled by the British magazine Global Competition Review (GCR).

Regarding decision-making, the Tribunal reviewed highly complex cases, including investigations on major technology companies, mergers with structural impacts on relevant markets, and the adoption of preventive measures in strategic sectors.

In line with this modernisation agenda, the authority has also made progress in using technological solutions to improve the agency’s operations, particularly through the development of DEIA, which is part of CADE’s Digital Transformation Plan. The tool is based on artificial intelligence and was designed to support merger reviews. It has helped

to enhance the agency’s efficiency, standardisation, and analyses, particularly in highly complex cases, aligning the institution with international best practices in the use of technology applied to competition law enforcement.

In conclusion, Gustavo Augusto’s administration leaves a legacy of institutional development, the expansion of the agency’s activities in addressing contemporary issues, and the consolidation of its technical credibility worlwide.

Profile

President Gustavo Augusto has graduation degrees both in Law and Naval Sciences, a post-graduate degree in Public Law, and a Master’s degree in Law. Additionaly, he took courses at Harvard Law School and Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). He has been a Counsel for the Federal Government since 2006 and worked as a legal assistant to the Presidency of Brazil for five years, serving as the Assistant Deputy Head of Economic Policy. Also, he has served as Head of the Litigation Department of the Prosecutor General of Brazil (PGF), nationally coordinating the litigation work of the attorneys of independent agencies and federal foundations, acting with the Supreme Federal Court (STF) and High Courts.