Romeu Zema

Romeu Zema Neto (born 28 October 1964) is a Brazilian businessman, administrator, and politician affiliated with the NOVO party. The current Governor of the state of Minas Gerais, Zema served as the head of the Zema Group, an industrial conglomerate, from 1990 to 2016. First elected in 2018, he won 42.73% of the valid votes, qualifying for a second round against Antônio Anastasia. Winning with 72.80% of the votes, he was inaugurated in 2019. In 2022, he won a decisive re-election against sports commentator and mayor of Belo Horizonte, Alexandre Kalil, with 56.18% in the first round. Zema has been touted by some as a possible presidential candidate for the 2026 Brazilian presidential election, given his alliance with Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 and 2022 Brazilian presidential elections. Business career Zema was born in Araxá, Minas Gerais, to Romeu Zema Neto and Maria Lúcia Zema. His paternal great-grandfather, Domingos Zema, was an immigrant from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies; Zema lived in considerable wealth due to the Zema Group, a conglomerate set up by Domingos. He worked as a gas station attendant, clerk, stock clerk, cashier, buyer, seller, marketing analyst, commercial analyst and manager at various points in his life. After 26 years at the head of the company, Zema stepped down in 2016. Zema has a degree from the Getúlio Vargas Foundation in business administration. 2018 election