Since 2023 at the helm of Zuk, Brazil’s largest real estate auction portal, Henri Zylberstajn he balances an intense and diverse routine, bringing to the company the experience gained in different areas. In addition to being a partner at Kwara and Passageiro de Primeira, he serves as a mentor at G4 Educação, inspiring and guiding executives and other entrepreneurs. In the social field, he maintains strong involvement with the NGO Gerando Falcões and is the founder of Instituto Serendipidade, established in 2018 to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities, motivated by his experience with his third child, who was born with Down syndrome. He is also a board member and angel investor in companies such as Loft, Agrolend, and SuaQuadra.
Role at Zuk
A partner at Zuk since 2023, the entrepreneur took over as CEO in early 2024 with the mission of enhancing operations and focusing on new growth levers. With this move, the organization, which maintains significant year-over-year growth, aims to double the number of properties auctioned by 2025. Amid over 1 million registered users, the company’s long-term success also relates to attractive discounts. Currently, the options listed on Zuk’s Portal can reach up to 80% below market value.
Going against an industry resistant to innovation, the company has already adopted a simplification approach to online auctions, combining advanced technology with human service. The intention is to direct investments to further integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into operations. “By increasingly leveraging AI, we aim to streamline processes and position Zuk even more as a leader in technology adoption,” shares Zylberstajn.
Inspiring journey
From a Jewish family, with grandparents who were refugees coming to Brazil to start anew after World War II, Zylberstajn, 44, comes from a privileged background. His parents, entrepreneurs, always emphasized the importance of hard work and education for their children. In school, he showed talent in math and physics and was always passionate about solving complex problems, which led him to study civil engineering at the Escola Politécnica of the University of São Paulo (USP). Soon after, he specialized in finance. Driven by challenges, he left behind a successful career as an executive in multinational consulting firms to found his own company, SOLD Leilões—sold to a technology group 10 years later. As a partner at Zuk, he has bold goals, including doubling the number of properties auctioned and expanding the company’s size in 3 years.
At 28, Zuk’s current leader had a comfortable executive manager position at a multinational recruitment firm in São Paulo, with above-average compensation. However, he had a dream: to own a business before turning 30, marry, and have children. Around the same time, he joined his childhood friends André and Fabio Zukerman, whose family worked in the auction business, to create a virtual auction company—an initiative that proved highly successful. The company they founded became the largest in its segment.
“My diverse journey has taught me that innovation and purpose go hand in hand. As CEO of Zuk, I use every accumulated experience—from engineering to social causes—to design impactful solutions, drive the company’s growth, and, most importantly, lead the people who help us fulfill this mission,” emphasizes Zylberstajn.
