Fernando Haddad is a lawyer, with a Master’s degree in economics and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of São Paulo (USP). He worked as an investment analyst and economic consultant at the Institute of Economic Research Foundation (Fipe). He served as deputy secretary of finance for the city of São Paulo under Mayor Marta Suplicy. He was special advisor for Planning in the first year of President Lula’s administration. In 2004, he became executive secretary of the Ministry of Education, later serving as minister from 2005 to 2012. He ran for mayor and governed the city of São Paulo from 2013 to 2016. His administration was one of the most internationally awarded in the city’s history. Among its achievements, the most notable was the unprecedented investment grade rating granted by Fitch, achieved by transforming São Paulo from the most indebted city in the country into a net creditor. He has received six honorary doctorate titles: five from Brazilian public universities and one from the International University of Córdoba, the oldest in Argentina. Haddad is the author of six books, the most recent published in 2022.