Roberto Civita facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roberto Civita
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| Born | 9 August 1936 Milan, Italy
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| Died | 26 May 2013 (aged 76) |
| Nationality |  Brazil (naturalized) |
| Alma mater | Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Chairman of the Board and Editorial Head of Grupo Abril Chairman of Abril Education Chairman of the Victor Civita Foundation Editor-in-chief of Veja magazine |
| Spouse(s) | Maria Antônia Civita |
| Children | Three |
| Parent(s) | Victor Civita and Sylvana Civita |
Roberto F. Civita (born August 9, 1936 – died May 26, 2013) was a Brazilian businessman and publisher. He was born in Italy.
When he was two years old, his family moved to New York in 1938. They were escaping laws in Italy that discriminated against certain groups of people. In 1949, his family moved again, this time to Brazil. There, his father, Victor Civita, started a publishing company called Editora Abril.
After finishing college and graduate school in the United States, Roberto Civita joined his family's business in the 1960s. He helped the company grow and become Grupo Abril, one of the biggest publishing companies in Brazil. In 1982, he became the president, and by 1990, he was in charge of all its operations. He later became the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Editorial Head of Grupo Abril.
Roberto Civita also led education foundations and was involved with important groups like the Lauder Institute and the Wharton Advisory Board.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Roberto Civita was born on August 9, 1936, in Milan, Italy. His parents were Sylvana and Victor Civita, who worked in publishing. He had a younger brother named Richard.
In 1938, his family moved to New York City because of unfair laws in Italy. Then, in 1949, the family moved to São Paulo, Brazil. There, his father, Victor Civita, started Editora Abril. This company first published comic books under a license from the Walt Disney Company. The first comic book they released was Donald Duck in 1950.
Roberto Civita went to college in the United States. He first studied nuclear physics at Rice University in Texas, but he soon realized it wasn't what he wanted to do. He then studied journalism at the University of Pennsylvania. He also earned a graduate degree in economics from its Wharton School of Economics. He also studied sociology at Columbia University in New York City. During this time, he gained experience by working as a trainee at Time Inc..
Family Life
Roberto Civita married Leila Francini from Sao Paulo. They had two sons, Giancarlo and Victor Civita Neto, and a daughter.
Later, he married Maria Antônia Neto.
Career in Publishing
Civita returned to Brazil in the mid-1960s. He took on different roles at Editora Abril and worked to bring big changes to Brazilian journalism. He wanted to make sure the company was known for checking facts carefully and for having an independent press.
With his help, Abril launched many important magazines for different readers. These included Quatro Rodas (about cars), Claudia and Manequim (for women), Exame (for business), Realidade, and Superinteressante (about science and culture).
When the weekly magazine Veja was started in 1968, Roberto Civita became its Editor-in-Chief. This magazine became the most important one for the company. Realidade magazine was seen as a great example of independent journalism. The company also started selling magazines through subscriptions, instead of just at newsstands.
Like other publishers, Civita faced challenges in keeping the press free. This was during the long years of the military government that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985. The government sometimes censored what the press could publish.
Mino Carta, who helped start Veja and was its managing editor from 1968 to 1976, said that the military government's censorship on the magazine was "very harsh." It began in 1969 and lasted until 1976, when he left the company.
In 1982, Civita became president of Grupo Abril. It had grown into one of the largest publishing companies in Brazil. He took full control of all operations in 1990, after his father Victor passed away. By the time of his own death, Roberto Civita had become a very wealthy person.
Community Involvement
Roberto Civita was active in foundations and non-profit groups that focused on education. He was the chairman of the board of Abril Educação and the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Victor Civita Foundation.
He kept his connections with the University of Pennsylvania. He was involved in leading the Lauder Institute and the Wharton Advisory Board.
Civita was also a member of the Board of Governance of the Instituto Millenium. He was on the Board of Overseers of the International Center for Economic Growth, which was founded in 1985 in Panama.
Famous Quote
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No passion, no magazine.
Awards and Recognition
- 1988: Maria Moors Cabot prize from Columbia University
- 1997: Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland
- 1997: Doctor Honoris Causa from Faculdade de Comunicação Social Cásper Líbero
- 2002: Grand Officer of the Order of Rio Branco from the Brazilian Government
See also
In Spanish: Roberto Civita para niños
