IFC 2009 Client Leadership Award Presented to Brazil’s Anhanguera Educacional Participações

In Washington, D.C.: 
Ludi Joseph, IFC 
Phone: (202) 473-7700 
E-mail: ljoseph@ifc.org 

Adriana Gomez, IFC 
Phone: (202) 458-5204 
E-mail: agomez@ifc.org 
 
In São Paulo: 
Alex Mattiuzzo, Alfapress Comunicações 
Phone: +55 (19) 2136-3503 / (19) 9648-5738 
E-mail: alex.mattiuzzo@alfapress.com.br 




Washington, D.C./ São Paulo, Brazil, October 16, 2009—IFC, a member of the 
World Bank Group, today presented its 2009 Client Leadership Award to 
Anhanguera Educacional Participações S.A., Brazil’s leading private 
post-secondary institution, for its invaluable and innovative contributions to 
education.  

The award honors clients who reflect IFC values and demonstrate leadership, 
innovation, operational excellence, strong corporate governance, and a 
commitment to socially and environmentally sustainable development.  

Accepting the award, Professor Antonio Carbonari, Anhanguera’s President and 
Founder, said, “We are delighted to receive the 2009 IFC Client Leadership 
Award.  It is important to be acknowledged among our peers for our commitment 
to innovation, progress, and social and environmental sustainability. 
Anhanguera’s story is now making history.” 

Anhanguera had more than 250,000 students in 2008.  Its business model for 
third-level education focuses on low- and middle-income working adults who may 
not have access to public universities.  On average, its graduates have almost 
tripled their income after completing their studies. The model offers high 
quality standards and affordable prices to the students. 

“Anhanguera illustrates in very human terms the development impact that IFC is 
trying to achieve and the strategies we are pursuing to do so,” said Guy 
Ellena, IFC Director for Health and Education, who presented the award at a 
ceremony in São Paulo attended by government, business leaders, academics, and 
media.  

Andrew Gunther, IFC Country Manager for Brazil, added, “Anhanguera is 
demonstrating that, reaching low- and middle- income consumers in developing 
countries—some of them at the base of the pyramid—makes business sense and 
creates opportunities for a better quality of life.”

IFC’s relationship with Anhanguera dates back to 2006, with a $12 million loan 
to the company through Fundo de Educacão para o Brasil.  In March 2007, 
Anhanguera became Latin America’s first private education company to list its 
shares through an initial public offering.

This year, the IFC Client Leadership Award was given to two recipients—
Anhanguera in the real sector category, and Africa’s Ecobank in the financial 
sector category. 

About IFC 
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to escape 
poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic growth in 
developing countries by supporting private sector development, mobilizing 
private capital, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to 
businesses and governments. Our new investments totaled $14.5 billion in fiscal 
2009, helping channel capital into developing countries during the financial 
crisis. For more information, visit www.ifc.org. 

About Anhanguera  
Anhanguera Educacional Participações S.A. is Brazil’s leading private 
post-secondary institution. Its innovative business model is based on a 
structured curriculum, a decentralized network of campuses, and standardized 
delivery through a campus network offering more than 90 undergraduate and 
graduate programs; vocational training centers offering short-term information 
technology and business-related disciplines; and distance learning centers, 
offering undergraduate, graduate, and extension programs.  For more 
information, visit www.unianhanguera.edu.br.