It was as a way to democratize access to credit in Brazil and to eliminate the indebtedness caused by credit cards that Pagaleve was created. In an increasingly technological and connected market, Henrique Weaver saw the opportunity to meet a need of millions of Brazilians who 1) do not have a credit card 2) have a low available limit or 3) simply do not like traditional payment methods, by developing a quick and easy installment method that does not require credit cards. It is better: use Pix as a payment platform
Pagaleve has a B2B2C operation and connects with retailers (both online and physical stores) through integrations of their e-commerce platforms to offer consumers the option to pay for purchases in installments via Pix, without the need to use a credit card.
The company has heavyweight investors, like Banco do Brasil, Salesforce Ventures, OIF Ventures, Founder Collective, Entrée Capital, among others. The fintech was recognized as the biggest innovation in credit in Brazil in 2022 by Cantarino, and the best credit solution for e-commerce in 2023, by FIDinsiders. Recently, Pagaleve also announced the structuring of a FIDC (Credit Rights Investment Fund) of R$250 million, led by the Belgian investment platform Credix Finance
Henrique Weaver attributes the company's success to the high acceptance of Pix Parcelado by consumers, especially among young people who avoid using cards during their purchases, be it for personal preference, access restrictions or credit limitations. "Having a vision in the business world and understanding your target audiences very well is essential to identify opportunities before they become obvious and to anticipate trends that will shape the future", ponder. He says that this thought was shaped by his entire professional journey
Still during the Business Administration college, at the University of Brasília, Henrique was an intern at Brasil Telecom, in the area of Contracts and Bids. Right after graduating, your first experience was as a Trainee at Coca-Cola, where he worked for a few years, in different cities in Brazil. After completing an MBA at the University of California, in 2012 began a career in strategic consulting at McKinsey & Company. In 2016,Henrique was invited to contribute to the structuring and expansion of Uber in Brazil, acting as General Manager for a little over two years. Right after, served as CEO Brazil of the Indian hospitality unicorn OYO.
With a long trajectory and a solid career in the business world, when asked about what is the main skill a professional should seek to develop, Henrique Weaver points out that there are several skills that are fundamental for a successful career: extreme resilience, curiosity, boldness and proficiency in finance are some of them. But, if I had to choose one, without a doubt it would be the ability to extract value from your network of contacts, from your network
"Observing successful leaders in the business world, I see that this is the skill with the greatest intersection among the various profiles of leaders I have met or read about". This competence does not mean being extroverted or charismatic. Much less means 'to use' people in a selfish way. She, in fact, means (1) to dedicate significant time and energy to getting to know new people, maintain the connection with the people you already know, be very organized and strategic in recording who is in your networks of influence, and in (4) to take the initiative to systematically ask for opinions and help – both with people in your professional circle – p.ex., members of your team – like with people with less exposure, explain Weaver.
He emphasizes, yet, that in situations where there is a challenge to be solved in the company, for example, the ability of a person to ask for opinions strategically, combine opinions with your perceptions, reach a new level of understanding and go through this whole cycle again, is extremely powerful and can be the big difference between having success or not in a specific goal
Henrique Weaver also adds: "I would also advise focusing on the things that were truly some of the main reasons I got here: (1) Being more ambitious than may seem reasonable; Ensure that you are communicating in the most strategic way possible; (3) Work hard – Unfortunately, a successful career is not built from 9 am to 5 pm. And the last and most important: invest disproportionate time and energy in developing good connections. Absolutely all the important achievements of my career have had a direct or indirect influence from some connection I developed over my 18 years of career. Doing this well is, at the same time, a science and an art, finalizes the CEO of Pagaleve
