Haroldo Jacobovicz Shifts from Engineering Foundation to Technology Enterprise
The professional evolution of Haroldo Jacobovicz reflects a willingness to pursue emerging opportunities beyond conventional career paths. With educational roots in civil engineering at the Federal University of Paraná after seven years at Military College, he redirected his technical abilities toward information technology during the 1980s when Brazil was taking initial steps in computerization.
His technical background was influenced by family precedent—his father combined engineering with university instruction, while his mother was among the pioneering female civil engineers in Paraná. Despite these foundations, Jacobovicz developed distinct professional interests when he recognized digital technologies could transform business operations across various sectors.
The entrepreneurial mindset appeared before completing his degree when Haroldo Jacobovicz partnered with three technically-skilled classmates to form Microsystem. Their business aimed to improve retail operations through automated inventory management—a concept that proved premature for the Brazilian market at that time. The venture concluded after two years when they determined that small businesses weren’t yet prepared to adopt computerization, providing valuable insights about market timing that would guide future decisions.
To build professional credentials, Jacobovicz joined Esso petroleum company (later Exxon Mobil), where his analytical capabilities stood out among hundreds of engineering applicants. Starting in sales, his data-oriented approach facilitated advancement to market analysis and eventually to developing commercial tactics at the company’s Brazilian headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.
When Brazil’s Cruzado Plan introduced economic policies affecting the fuel industry, combined with personal considerations about family proximity, Haroldo Jacobovicz transitioned to the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant. As an advisor to the Technical Director, he gained experience with how large public organizations implement technology differently than private corporations.
After four years in this role, Jacobovicz returned to entrepreneurship with enhanced perspectives on both private and public sector operations. He established Minauro, introducing a computer rental and maintenance service addressing the specific procurement requirements faced by government agencies. This approach secured contracts through competitive bids across southern and southeastern regions of Brazil.
His business portfolio expanded through strategic acquisitions of software companies specializing in public administration solutions. These developments led to the e-Governe Group, which continues providing digital management systems to municipalities throughout Brazil today.
In 2010, Haroldo Jacobovicz ventured into telecommunications by founding Horizons Telecom, developed with input from the first president of Brazil’s telecommunications regulatory agency. Focusing on corporate connectivity needs, the company grew into a recognized industry presence over the following decade before being acquired in 2021.
Following this transaction, Jacobovicz established Arlequim Technologies in 2021, focusing on virtualization solutions that enhance computing performance without hardware replacement. This approach addresses both organizational efficiency requirements and broader technology access concerns by extending the productive lifespan of existing equipment.
Throughout these various business initiatives, Haroldo Jacobovicz has consistently identified practical applications for technology across different sectors. His career demonstrates how technical knowledge combined with market awareness can create business opportunities that advance technology adoption across diverse segments of the economy.