ALL’S WELL THAT... STARTS WITH A SMILE: ANTONIO TEIXEIRA

<> Antonio Teixeira starts every new day at his production department in De Rigo with this greeting. But in his case, it is not merely a perfunctory greeting. It is heartfelt, meant, and selflessly uttered. In that hello lies is a sincere wish, a genuine attitude of concern towards those before him. And in fact, Antonio greets every collaborator individually, looking them straight in the eye. “As head of department, I try to make every workday a pleasant one. My aim is to work together with clarity of intent, but at the same time in the hope of making our workplace both productive and enjoyable”. For Antonio, this is not an oxymoron, but rather an awareness that people work better when they are serene and motivated.

Antonio Teixeira is an Italian Brazilian who left São Paulo fourteen years ago and made a new life for himself and his family in Belluno, Italy. For the past ten years, he has been in charge of De Rigo’s lens and temple lasering department and of the Lozza Sartoriale area, but irrespective of his role, it is how he interprets his work that makes all the difference. Inquisitive and meticulous, he is driven by the desire to learn new things and generous when it comes to sharing know-how. What’s more, he communicates with a smile, always finding the right word at the right time and taking a front position as a way of teaching by example rather than as a manifestation of an exuberant ego.

Despite his young age, Antonio has already achieved a lot. In the early years, in Brazil, he worked - among other things - in the fields of air freight, banking and IT support. It is safe to say that Antonio is not afraid of change. Instead, he seeks continual self-improvement and never backs away from a challenge. Like working in Boston for four years, before deciding to move to Italy with his wife. His wife and two children are his greatest joys, with whom he shares every celebration - not in the more flamboyant sense of the word, but as the ability to get excited about small things, to live each day to the fullest.

At De Rigo, Antonio has found the perfect place to grow and to help those around him grow. He is proud to work for a leading company yet capable of preserving a genuine family spirit. When not at work, Antonio cultivates his many interests. His motorbike, with which he explores new places, with his wife as his trusty travelling companion. Going on camping holidays, and perhaps one day even trying a new experience in a camper van. And now also his latest, and perhaps greatest passion. Because Antonio is also a young grandfather. He has been blessed with a tiny little grandchild, to whom Grandpa Teixeira can now transfer all his enthusiasm.

And so, it is with all our hearts that we say to you, “Hello Antonio!”