Giovanna Angélica Beira is a third-generation member of the Beira family and one of the next leaders of Ypê, a renowned Brazilian company that produces cleaning and personal care products. Preparing for the future of her family’s enterprise meant looking beyond the boardroom toward education, unity, and shared purpose.
Founded in 1950 in Amparo, a town in the countryside of São Paulo, Ypê has grown to become one of Brazil’s most trusted brands, with products present in 95% of Brazilian homes. As the company celebrates its 75th anniversary, Giovanna and her family are focused on ensuring the business continues to thrive for generations to come.
“We, as the next generation, are preparing and developing ourselves in order to perpetuate and grow the business,” she explains. “Our goal is to generate value while preserving our legacy and values.”
That commitment led Giovanna, along with several members of her family (including her father, sister, uncle and cousins) to attend MIT Sloan Executive Education’s Future Family Enterprise course in April 2022.
Choosing MIT Sloan: A Global Perspective on Family Business
For the Beira family, selecting the right educational program was about more than learning business strategy. It was about finding a place that could provide both intellectual depth and emotional resonance, a space where generations could align around shared purpose.
“We chose MIT because we understood that the program was complete,” Giovanna says. “We needed to understand how to develop the next generations, and how to create greater strategies for family unity and the ecosystem of the family.”
Led by Professor John Davis, a globally recognized authority on family enterprise management and governance, the Future Family Enterprise course attracts families from around the world who are seeking to evolve their business strategies while strengthening their family relationships.
For Giovanna, the experience exceeded expectations. “It was a truly unique experience to learn so many valuable lessons alongside my family,” she recalls. “We had the opportunity to understand the realities of other entrepreneurial families around the world and to see how they handle similar situations in different ways.”
That diversity of perspectives, she explains, opened new ways of thinking. “Not only will the program transform your perspective on the family business,” she says, “but it will also provide precious tools to help you view your business from both the inside out and the outside.”
From Classroom to Action: Building Family Governance
The lessons learned at MIT Sloan were not left in Cambridge, they were brought home to Brazil. During the course, Giovanna and her family created a personalized action plan under Professor Davis’s guidance, designed to ensure long-term success and strengthen the family’s governance structures.
“We gained countless valuable insights throughout this journey,” she says. “However, one of the most essential was recognizing and cultivating an owner’s mindset, which focuses on long-term thinking, aims to sustain the family business, and aspires to a purpose.”
That mindset led to tangible outcomes. “We delved into the key roles within family enterprises, understanding the importance of each role, and how every family member can contribute,” she explains.
Among the Beira family’s key initiatives was the creation of a family council, a vital step for formalizing governance and fostering communication among generations. “A crucial takeaway was the understanding that a family council may strengthen governance,” Giovanna says. “As we became aware of that, we left MIT with the task of establishing a family council, and we successfully accomplished that.”
The family also strengthened their shareholder council with a long-term vision, organized the roles of family members within the ecosystem, and created and approved a family constitution. Each of these initiatives, Giovanna says, has played a critical role in “preserving our mission and values while nurturing the next generation.”
“All these initiatives have greatly contributed to fostering family unity,” she adds.
A Shared Vision for the Future
One of the most meaningful outcomes of the MIT Sloan Executive Education experience, Giovanna says, was the way it brought her family together around a shared vision. “One of the greatest contributions of the program was putting all family members on the same page,” she reflects. “It allowed us to make conscious and intentional decisions regarding both our business strategy and our family development.”
That alignment is crucial for a company like Ypê, whose success has been deeply rooted in its founding values. Maintaining those values while adapting to a rapidly changing global landscape requires a balance of tradition and innovation, something Giovanna says the program helped them understand.
“The program fosters wealth creation and ensures the longevity of the business while preserving its essence, values, and purpose as a family,” she says.
(Left to Right: Giovanna Angélica Beira with her certificate, MIT Sloan School of Management, MIT Sloan Senior Lecturer John Davis)
Learning in Boston, Leading in Brazil
Beyond the classroom, Giovanna fondly remembers her first visit to Boston as part of the experience. “It was the first time I went to Boston, and it was a really great experience,” she recalls. “It’s a beautiful calm city and very different from Brazil.”
The week-long immersion on campus offered not just academic rigor, but also a sense of global connection, something Giovanna says continues to influence how she views her role within Ypê and her family.
“The opportunity to learn alongside my family, surrounded by other families facing similar challenges, was truly enriching,” she says. “It inspired us to think long-term and to be intentional about the legacy we are building.”
Advice for Other Family Enterprises
When asked what she would tell other families considering the program, Giovanna doesn’t hesitate: “Join it,” she says with enthusiasm. “Not only will the program transform your perspective on the family business, but it will also provide precious tools to help you view your business from both the inside out and the outside.”
Her advice comes with conviction, grounded in her own experience of growth, reflection, and unity. “It’s a program that fosters wealth creation and ensures the longevity of the business,” she adds, “while preserving its essence, values, and purpose as a family.”
For Giovanna and the Beira family, the lessons from MIT Sloan’s Future Family Enterprise program have become more than strategies, they’re part of a living legacy. As Ypê celebrates 75 years of success, Giovanna and her generation are looking ahead, equipped with new tools, shared understanding, and a renewed sense of purpose.
“It was amazing for my family and for me,” she says. “It was truly enriching and it helped us see our business, and our future, in a whole new light.”