In a dramatic start to the year for Petrobras’ leadership, Aldemir Bendine and Ivan de Souza Monteiro were named chief executive and chief financial officer, respectively, at the Brazilian oil company. They replaced former CEO Maria das Graças Silva Foster, who resigned alongside CFO Almir Barbassa and four other executive directors, as the company attempts to recover from the implications of a corruption investigation. The firm also hired João Adalberto Elek Jr. as a governance, risk management and compliance officer.

Meanwhile, Banco do Brasil promoted Alexandre Corrêa Abreu to chief executive, filling the gap left by Bendine’s appointment at Petrobras.

In the Brazilian corporate community, Eduardo Silveira Mufarej moved from CEO at Tarpon Investimento to the same post in Abril Educação. Martin Secco Arias was promoted as Marfrig Global Foods’ CEO to replace Sergio Rial. And Eike Batista stepped down as chairman and member of the board at Óleo e Gás Participações.

In Mexico, Sare Holding brought in Juan Carlos Díaz Arelle and Jorge Mariano Espinosa de los Reyes Dávila as its new CEO and CFO; while Abengoa named Alfonso González Vázquez as new CFO to replace Luis Ayram Gutiérrez. Infrastructure builder and operator OHL brought in Raúl Revuelta as CFO, the same post he occupied previously at Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico.

AT&T picked Thaddeus Arroyo to lead its newly-acquired Iusacell, after he spent 19 years at the US company’s technology development unit. He replaces Adrián Steckel. In the hospitality business, Arturo Martínez del Campo joined Grupo Posadas as new CFO to replace Rubén Guillermo Camiro, who left in September.

In Chile, SalfaCorp promoted Fernando Zúñiga Ziliani as CEO to replace Francisco Javier Garcés, who had led the construction company for almost a decade. Copper cable manufacturer Invexans also welcomed a new CEO, as Antonio Cruz replaced Martín Rodríguez Guiraldes. Enel moved Luca D’Agnese from Eastern Europe to lead its Latin American unit Enersis.

In the meantime, Colombian utility Grupo Empresas Públicas de Medellín named Jorge Andrés Tabares as CFO.

Walmart shook its management across its Latin American units. Enrique Onstale took over as Walmex chief executive after Scot Rank left to lead Grupo Lala. Horacio Barbeito was named CEO at Walmart Chile replacing Gian Carlo Nucci; Barbeito retained control of operations in Argentina’s unit.

Bank maneuvers

Alejandro Valenzuela del Río joined Banco Azteca as CEO. He had stepped down from the same post at Banorte in November.

In February, Deutsche Bank named Raj Bhattacharyya for the new role of head of corporate banking and securities (CB&S) for Latin America, a step up from running capital markets and treasury solutions in Western Europe.

Elsewhere in investment banking, Roberto Barbuti left his post as Bank of America-Merrill Lynch’s coverage head for financial sponsors, utilities and real estate. Barbuti had been BofA-Merrill’s co-head of investment banking in Brazil until October.

Fadi Attia left Barclays, where he was director on the bank’s New York emerging markets bond syndicate desk. Fabianna Del Canto, a managing director who has worked on Barclays’ emerging markets and supranationals, sovereigns and agency bond desks in London, is relocating to New York.

Alfredo del Mazo resigned as director general of Mexican development bank Banobras.

José Ramón Vizmanos was appointed head of corporate and investment banking for BBVA in South America, and Luis Rodríguez moved to Santander’s equity desk in Mexico City.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff named Miriam Belchior to be chief executive of Caixa Econômica Federal, replacing Jorge Hereda. In Chile, Eugenio Von Chrismar Carvajal took over as Bci’s CEO, replacing Lionel Olavarría Leyton, who had held the role since 1993. Tanner Corredores de Bolsa received José Antonio Buenaño González as CEO. LF