Although Delmazo now runs a company focused on logistics assets, his career began in residential development in Minas Gerais. At Odebrecht, the project was new, involving small buildings and land developments, and the future executive worked in finance and accounting.

“In terms of hours, the job was so hands‑on that I learned everything on the ground, and that accelerated my growth early on. For about a year and a half, maybe two, I kept up an intense pace: I’d study at night, get to the office at 7 a.m., go to college, come back at 11 p.m., and stay in the office until four or five in the morning,” he recalls.

Looking back, he says he has no regrets about that exhausting routine. Despite his mother’s concern, the then‑student saw his effort pay off: six months before graduation, he was hired full‑time and began taking on increasingly important roles.

Newly graduated and engaged, Delmazo reached a point in life when he had to make important choices. Just six months after finishing college, he received a proposal: move to Mozambique.

At the time, Odebrecht operated in several countries and had a project underway in a city in the Mozambican interior. The executive was leaning toward accepting the offer; his fiancée, though apprehensive, supported him and was willing to go with him. But at the same time, another opportunity arose: to take over Odebrecht’s operations in the states of Minas Gerais and the Federal District, based in Brasília.

“Between Mozambique and Brasília, we chose Brasília. It’s funny because every time I started a new learning program, a move to a different city—or even country—would follow. In this case, I was already starting an MBA when I got the offer for Brasília. I went there to manage two regional units: Brasília and Minas. I was responsible for finance, client relations, people management, and administrative matters. Everything not directly related to engineering or construction fell under my responsibilities,” he recalls.

Delmazo spent five years in Brasília. Amid new business ventures, increasingly complex projects, and networking with key players, he expanded his professional network. After that period, he began considering new challenges—but his journey at Odebrecht wasn’t over yet.

“I said I was going to resign. I went on a trip and told them, ‘When I get back, I’m leaving the company.’ I remember it clearly: it was December 31, New Year’s Eve, 11 p.m., and I got a call: ‘You’re not going anywhere. I’ve already spoken internally, and we’re going to make you an offer. I know money isn’t the most important thing to you right now, but here’s what matters: you’re going to lead a new program,’” he recalls. “They said, ‘You’ll lead this initiative and also become CEO of two group companies overseeing this area.’”

At the time, Odebrecht was expanding its operations into the low-income housing segment. The group was leading the largest project under the federal housing program Minha Casa Minha Vida up to that point, with an 8,000-unit development. One portion of the project stood out: roughly R$600 million in expected revenue from government disbursements and unit sales.

“I hung up the phone. I was traveling with my wife. I said, ‘So, what do you think, babe?’ And she replied, ‘It’s your heart that needs to decide.’ We decided to enjoy New Year’s Eve. I celebrated the countdown and, the next day, I called Odebrecht: ‘I’m in!’” he recalls.

In December 2016, as part of the developments of Operation Lava Jato (Car Wash in english) — one of the largest anti-corruption investigations in the world — Odebrecht signed a leniency agreement with Brazil’s Prosecutor General’s Office. The resulting plea deals, known as the “end of the world delations,” involved 78 executives, including former CEO Marcelo Odebrecht and his father, Emílio Odebrecht, and led to the opening of 83 investigations in the Federal Supreme Court (STF).

At the time, Delmazo was serving as CFO and head of HR and administration for the São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Brasília markets. Suddenly, he was faced with a new mission: to win back clients and restore the company’s reputation.

“It was a very delicate crisis, with Operation Car Wash and everything it brought, causing the company to completely lose its credibility. You go from being part of a powerful, well-respected organization to one facing serious challenges, multiple lawsuits, and the need to rebuild trust with partners. And that’s exactly where I’ve always stood out: in my ability to restore our partners’ and investors’ confidence — both in the good times and in the most difficult ones,” he says.

Delmazo stood out for his leadership during the crisis — and that recognition went beyond Odebrecht. After closing several deals, Walter Torre, then president of WTorre, invited him for a conversation.

“I went to meet with Walter, this was back in 2019. It was him and two other executives — a very good conversation. At the time, Walter had stepped back a bit from management due to health reasons. He told me he wanted to relaunch the company, focusing on real estate, which had always been his core business. Then he said: ‘I need an executive for that area. Would you like to come work with us?’” Delmazo recalls.

He decided to leave Odebrecht after 13 years and begin a new chapter at WTorre. There, he took on responsibilities in areas that were completely new to him: energy and nanotechnology.

“In about two months, I shut down the energy division. It was a problem area for us — we renegotiated many contracts with major players, had some success, and ultimately closed the operation. We also discontinued the nanotechnology division. At that point, we decided to focus our efforts on two fronts: entertainment and real estate,” he says.

Walter Torre entrusted Delmazo with the task of assembling a new team of young, focused professionals. He went on to lead new projects, such as Alto das Nações, returning to his comfort zone: the real estate sector.

After selling Alto das Nações and other major corporate projects, Delmazo was called in by Walter Torre to discuss logistics. Although he wasn’t familiar with the segment at the time, he was tasked with marketing a plot of land in Franco da Rocha.

The challenge was to secure a tenant for a project that hadn’t been built yet, in a less sought-after region, while competing against major players that already had ready-to-occupy properties.

“Walter told me: ‘If Cajamar is like Faria Lima, then Franco da Rocha is like Berrini. So let’s go — it’ll work.’ At that moment, Mercado Livre had launched a bid process, and I started thinking about how we could win that bid.”

The competition was tough: GLP and Prologis, both with completed developments in Cajamar.

“We flew a drone during rush hour and showed the client that, although our site was about 10 kilometers farther, they could actually get there faster than to Cajamar at that time of day. We put together a great presentation, highlighting the excellent accessibility. It was the city’s first logistics development, but we needed more. So we went to Franco da Rocha’s city hall and convinced them to create incentives for logistics. We managed to get laws passed for property tax exemptions, lower transfer taxes… In the end, we won Mercado Livre’s bid,” he recalls.

After the victory, the sudden passing of Walter Torre — who died of cardiac arrest — marked the beginning of a new chapter for the company. Still, Delmazo remained steadfast and continued pushing projects forward.

“We decided to move on, to carry on Walter’s legacy. We knew we had to complete the Mercado Livre project in less than five months: 50,000 square meters across seven modules, totaling 90,000 square meters. It was a huge challenge. I remember clearly: my team came into the room, concerned, and said, ‘Delmazo, we’re not going to make it — we’re going to lose the client.’ I looked them in the eye and replied, ‘We’re going to make it. You have carte blanche to do whatever it takes, but there’s only one mission: get it done. This project is yours. We’re not losing this client,’” he recalls.

That philosophy has defined Delmazo’s entire career: the client always comes first — a mindset he carried with him from his days at Odebrecht.

His entire career had led to this moment. After four years at WTorre, overseeing projects in Extrema, Cajamar, and Guarulhos, Delmazo had fallen even deeper in love with the logistics sector — and the seed of Zolver was planted.

At a certain point, he decided it was time to start his own company, with one non-negotiable principle: the client always comes first. “Whoever says no to the client is wrong,” he sums up his philosophy.

After completing one final project, he invited the most trusted professionals to help build Zolver. As soon as the team was in place, Delmazo took a trip. On his first day back, he received a phone call.

“Someone from a major e-commerce company called and said they had a demand — and asked if I could help. We scheduled a lunch, and during the conversation, he explained their needs in a specific region and asked if I’d be willing to look into it. I told him I had left WTorre and was building my own company, with a strong team and solid structure, and I asked if he’d be open to doing business with me. He congratulated me, said I had made the right choice, and that he’d pitch it internally. The next day, he called me back: ‘It’s a go, man! You can start — we’re doing business with you. We know you can deliver, you have strong relationships, and lots of experience. That’s what matters to us,’” he recalls.

From there, Delmazo pursued new clients and investment funds. Zolver entered another bid process — and won, reviving a project that had been stalled for over a decade.

With the arrival of new partners, Zolver took shape as a multidisciplinary company. Today, it reflects Luiz Felippe Delmazo himself: a results-driven executive, relentlessly client-focused, and above all, a man of his word.

Market Drivers | The Leaders Transforming Latin American Real Estate

In Market Drivers, SiiLA’s REsource explores the journeys of influential executives who are redefining the commercial real estate landscape. Each edition features an exclusive profile of leaders making a lasting impact across sectors such as office, logistics, retail, and multifamily. More than just storytelling, Market Drivers connects people, inspires new perspectives, and highlights how individual leadership can drive large-scale transformation in Latin America’s real estate market.