Mauricio Pontes has more than 25 years of extensive experience in complex risk business as an International Crisis Management professional, having started as a pilot and aircraft accidents investigator. His academic background includes a Law degree and post-graduate studies in Marketing (Communication), Management, Policy & Strategy at Brazilian Superior War College Graduate Society, and works as a Post Graduate and MBA professor in the fields of Crisis Management, Safety Prevention and Investigation, Safety Management Systems and Complexity Management.

In 2018, he was selected by the US Department of State as a member of IVLP (International Visitor Leadership Program) as a Crisis Management and Emergency Responder expert, among 21 different nations representatives. He worked as Aviation Risk Manager and Senior Underwriter for SulAmerica ING insurance company, and acted as IATA ERP Task Force as Regional Representative for South America and Caribbean. He was also a member of Task Force 285, the Commission which helped to develop standards of aircraft family members assistance for ICAO.

While with TAM Brazilian Airlines, Mauricio managed real-world crises, including the response to a major aircraft accident. He went on to develop the Humanitarian Volunteer Program and Crisis Response Plan of Azul Brazilian Airlines, a department he led since the first day of Azul’s operation. Mauricio also worked as Head of Crisis at GRU/Sao Paulo International Airport, where he designed the sector from the 1st Situation Room floor plan until the protocols and plans for different abnormal situations, like pandemics, flight disruptions, hijacking and terrorism, among others. In this role he was responsible for managing special operations for major events, such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics & Paralympic Games of XXXI Olympiad.