Dirk is a graduate Civil Engineer from the Mackenzie University (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Automobile Engineer from the General Motors Institute - GMI (Flint, Michigan - USA) and has specialized courses on Psychology, Human Relations, Human Development, Marketing, Business Strategy and Business Administration from Brazil and abroad. In his executive career in the Automotive and Railway industries in Brazil, he was Director of Product Engineering and Quality Control of Chrysler Brazil. He was also head of the Product and Marketing Committees for Chrysler Brazil and Argentina. Dirk was President of Fresinbra Industrial S.A., the Brazilian subsidiary of Westinghouse Airbrakes / American Standard Co. and was simultaneously Director of all the other American Standard Corp. companies in Brazil. At this time he was, by invitation, a member of the Young Presidents Club (Paris, France), which is exclusive for large company Presidents under 40 years of age. In 1982 he was...