Jefferies Financial Group , a New York-based financial-services company with investment-banking and institutional-equities operations, has appointed Credit Suisse veteran Haroldo Amaral as head of equity sales in Brazil as it continues to expand its presence in the country. Amaral brings more than 20 years of experience, including 17 years at Credit Suisse, where he spent five years leading equity sales and corporate access. He also served as head of equity sales at Banco Bradesco BBI, a Brazilian investment-banking business, from 2023 to 2025.

Amaral will report to Leonardo Laport, Jefferies' head of equities for Brazil and Latin America. Laport said the appointment strengthens the company's commitment to Brazilian institutional investors as Jefferies explores the expansion of its local entity. The firm, which opened its first Brazilian office in 2023, is awaiting final regulatory approval from Brazil's central bank to establish a brokerage operation.

Jefferies currently has around 25 employees in Sao Paulo, where its investment-banking team advises Brazilian companies on mergers and acquisitions and provides capital-markets services, including international equity and debt offerings. The company also operates a global institutional-equities franchise supported by approximately 450 research professionals covering more than 3,160 companies across over 45 offices in more than 21 countries. Investors may view the hiring and proposed brokerage launch as further evidence of Jefferies' commitment to Brazil, which Laport described as central to the firm's broader Latin American strategy.