January 7/White Plains, N.Y./PRNewswire -- Bunge Limited announced the appointment of Pedro Parente to the newly created position of president and CEO, Bunge Brazil, effective January 11, 2010. In his new role, Parente will lead all of Bunge's businesses in Brazil and will report to Alberto Weisser, chairman and CEO, Bunge Limited.

"Pedro brings to Bunge a track record of success in the private and public sectors," stated Weisser. "His expertise and deep insight into both business operations and the public policies that shape them make him the right person to lead Bunge's Brazilian businesses, which have grown larger and more diverse in recent years. I am confident that under his leadership Bunge will be even better positioned to contribute to and share in Brazil's growth."

Until December 2009, Parente served as chief operating officer, Grupo RBS (RBS), a leading Brazilian multimedia company. As COO, he was responsible for managing all operations of the company, which owns 18 TV stations, eight newspapers and 25 radio stations.

Prior to joining RBS, Parente held a variety of high-level posts in the public sector. He served as chief of staff, minister of planning and deputy minister of finance during the administration of Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Parente has also served as a consultant to the International Monetary Fund and has worked at the Brazilian Central Bank and Banco do Brasil. He is a former chairman of the board of Petrobras and Banco do Brasil. He holds a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Brasília and is a fellow at the George Washington University Center of Latin American Studies.

Mario Barbosa will continue to manage Bunge's fertilizer operations in Brazil, and Sergio Waldrich will continue to manage its agribusiness, food products and sugar & bioenergy operations. Both will report to Parente.

Weisser continued, "We look forward to integrating further Bunge's Brazilian businesses, so they can produce the best services for our domestic and international customers with the greatest efficiency. Market conditions demand this. In addition to their management responsibilities, Mario and Sergio will work closely with Pedro to create the optimal linkages among Bunge Fertilizantes, Bunge Alimentos and our growing sugar and bioenergy business."

From the January 18, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition