Businessman Constantino de Oliveira Júnior, founder and president of the board of directors of Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, died this Saturday morning (24), in São Paulo. He was 57 years old and was admitted to a hospital in the capital of São Paulo, where he was being treated for cancer diagnosed a few years ago.
Constantino Júnior was one of the founders of Gol in 2001 and led the company as CEO until 2012. From that year onwards, he began to serve exclusively on the board of directors, of which he was president. Under his leadership, the company consolidated the low-cost model in Brazil and in 2007 purchased Varig.
Before creating Gol, the businessman served between 1994 and 2000 as director of Comporte Participações, a land passenger transport group founded by his father, Nenê Constantino. He was also the brother of businessman Henrique Constantino.
In addition to his work at Gol, Constantino Júnior was a member of the board of directors and one of the founders of Grupo Abra, the airline sector holding company that controls Gol and Avianca, a Colombian aviation company.
Passionate about aviation and motor racing, Constantino also had a career as a racing pilot. He participated in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil, in which he was runner-up in 2008 and champion in 2011.
In a statement, Gol lamented the death of the founder and highlighted his legacy. “On this day of enormous sadness, the company sympathizes with family and friends, expressing its feelings and recognizing their legacy,” stated the company.
According to the statement, “his leadership, strategic vision and simple, human manner left profound marks on Gol’s culture, whose principles continue to transform aviation in Brazil.”
