Odebrecht Engineering & Construction is now OEC

In the year that it achieves 75 years of existence, Odebrecht Engineering & Construction is announcing the renewal of its brand, adopting the initials “OEC”. The new visual identity, developed with support from the consultancy firm, Keenwork, introduces the colors green, blue and gray and can be seen in all of the company’s communication from this month onwards.

The new name is followed by the description “Odebrecht Engineering & Construction,” which identifies its segment of activity. The change reflects what the company calls its “Transformational Journey,” with important advances in its governance, such as the implementation of a new compliance system; incorporation of independent advisors; the update and adoption of new policies and guidelines; a succession process that promoted a new generation of leaders; signature of important agreements in Brazil and abroad and, lastly, the start of its financial restructuring.

“It was an intense journey that enabled us to start a process to rebuild confidence and the results are now emerging, also in the form of winning important new projects since last year,” confirms the OEC CEO, Fabio Januário.
In addition to the new brand, the company will also start a publicity campaign in May, presenting its new era. According to the person responsible for OEC institutional marketing, Rodrigo Vilar, this action reinforces the commitment of establishing a closer and more transparent relationship with society. “The company has done a lot in the last three years and has reinvented itself, without losing its best aspects: knowledgeable people, technical capacity and differentiated delivery. The campaign is an invitation, so that everyone who is interested can follow this learning and reconstruction process,” confirms Vilar.

Luis Castellari, Head of Creation and Strategy at Keenwork, explains that the new visual identity was the result of more than one year of work, in partnership with the OEC communication team. “We listened to more than 30 company executives around the world; we held workshops with the new generation of young leaders and also spoke to clients and strategic audiences, in order to arrive at a brand that symbolizes the union of engineering with confidence in the capacity to develop people, which is in the company’s DNA,” he explains.

Projects around the world – Throughout its 75 year history, OEC has been responsible for executing more than 2,500 major projects, such as hydroelectric, thermal and nuclear power plants, bridges, flyovers, tunnels, subway and metro lines and urban trains, airports, ports, railways and industrial projects.

OEC is currently present in 16 countries, employing more than 20,000 workers of different nationalities, at approximately twenty projects for both public and private clients.

Technical capacity acknowledged – In 2018, the Lilac Line 5 São Paulo subway project won an Award of Merit in the Bridges and Tunnels category from the American publication, ENR. The construction company was the only Brazilian firm among the 22 projects selected from 14 countries. According to the ranking published by the journal, the company was listed as the 8th in the world among the plant construction companies for the electrical segment and the only Brazilian company among the 50 largest in terms of revenue.

Innovation at construction sites – Throughout its 75 year history, OEC has been characterized for being a company focused on entrepreneurialism and innovation. It has taken solutions with major impacts to its construction sites, to optimize materials, the time to execute services and environmental solutions, among others, which confer an internationally recognized technical quality on its projects.
Last year, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft for scientific and technological cooperation and exchange. The aim is to strengthen the research and development of joint solutions, including the use of Artificial Intelligence, with applicability on its construction sites.
With this initiative, the companies have the expectation of making further contributions to security for its members and the communities located nearby these sites, with increased productivity and a better control of environmental conservation.

Compliance and governance – Since July 2016, OEC has been reinforcing its Compliance System and Governance measures. Since it took on the public commitment to combat corruption, the company has created a new, more robust system, in line with publicly traded companies. Agreements have been signed with eight countries – the United States, Switzerland, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Guatemala. Other agreements are expected and some are now in an advanced negotiation stage.

In early 2018, the company announced the arrival of the new Chief Compliance Officer, Margarida Smith, who arrived from the American firm, Citibank, and she has a wide range of experience in the financial market compliance sector. New measures were also implemented, such as the decision to delegate management of the Ethics Line to an external, specialized company and undertaking assessments (due diligence) of all its suppliers.

In July 2018, OEC took another important step in the commitment taken on for ethical and transparent activity with integrity, signing a “Letter of Commitment to the Business Movement for Integrity and Transparency,” an initiative led by Instituto Ethos in partnership with United Nations Global Compact and International Transparency.

Digital presence – As part of the renewal and transparency process, OEC launched its own social media channels in 2018 on Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, in addition to an engineering blog and website. The aim is to establish a greater connection with students and young professionals.