Gislaine De Abreu Macek, Professional Introduction
A Professional Introduction
Portrait of Gislaine De Abreu Macek
Brazilian, French

Gislaine De Abreu Macek

Founder & Principal
GDK Investment Group LLC

International commodities strategist, structuring discreet, high-value transactions across energy, agricultural, and metals markets.

§ I

Before the Credentials

A note, in my own voice

Working across three distinct industries has shaped a perspective on international negotiation that is both rare and deeply practical. I spent fifteen years evaluating contracts for international sports transfers, twenty years importing luxury furniture and negotiating directly with established global brands, and another twenty years as a publisher of international lifestyle magazines. Today, that experience converges in commodities.

None of it was planned as preparation for this work, but that is what it became. Years in sport meant negotiating with a lot at stake and an audience watching. Luxury taught me discretion, and that the relationships worth having are built slowly, not closed in an afternoon. Publishing trained my ear for what people leave out. Grain, oil, metal, the cargo changes, the people on either side of the table do not.

I founded GDK Investment Group not from a traditional commodities background, but from a foundation built on decades of international negotiation, cross-continental relationships, multilingual fluency, and a nuanced understanding of how trust is established across cultures. Transactions are not defined by price alone. They are defined by documentation, compliance, and the credibility of the parties involved. Underpinning all of it is trust, not declared, but demonstrated over time through consistency and conduct.

This professional introduction is a reflection of who I am.

§ II

At a Glance

Essentials

Based
United StatesOperating internationally
Citizenship
Brazilian & FrenchU.S. resident
Languages
Four, fluentPortuguese, French, English, Spanish
Industries
CommoditiesEnergy, Metals, Agricultural
Experience
Two DecadesInternational negotiation across three continents
Reach
Three ContinentsEurope, the Middle East, the Americas
In international trade, the true asset is not the commodity itself. It is the trust that makes the transaction possible. Gislaine De Abreu Macek
§ III

Career in Sequence

Executive leadership since 1995

2023
Founder, to Present
GDK Investment Group LLC, United States
Principal & Founder

A commodities intermediary operating across energy, agricultural, and metals markets. The firm structures and facilitates high-value transactions with a strong emphasis on compliance, documentation integrity, and counterparty credibility. These are the three pillars that separate genuine deals from the noise.

2002 to 2022
Twenty-One Years
Henouda Imp. e Exp. Ltda, São Paulo, Brazil
President

Led the company for more than two decades as President, building and directing an import and export operation that connected Brazil with partners across Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. The tenure forged the operational discipline, relationship capital, and instinct for cross-border structure that define the practice today. Two decades in which the same clients and counterparties returned, year after year.

2007
Founder, to Present
The Timeless Concept, International Editorial Studio
Founder & Editorial Director

An international editorial studio founded in 2007, crafting bespoke magazines, lookbooks, and brand publications for the worlds of luxury, real estate, hospitality, art, and design. Nearly two decades of publishing work, rooted in the belief that every page should be composed, not simply designed. The studio has produced titles including Timeless, Décor Inspiration, Voilà, and Haute Gamme, serving clients from Paris to São Paulo.

2009 to 2012
Chief Executive
FLH Negócios Internacionais Ltda, Brazil
Chief Executive Officer

Executive leadership of an international business operating in the world of sport, specifically soccer. The role involved structuring cross-border agreements and managing counterparty relationships across multiple jurisdictions. A chapter that deepened the architecture of international relations, particularly around cultures and negotiation at the highest levels of the global game.

§ IV

Markets of Focus

GDK Investment Group, operating mandate

Energy
Crude & Refined Products
Agriculture
Sugar, Grains, Softs
Metals
Gold, Copper, Iron Ore
§ V

Education

Academic formation

2022 to 2023
Duke University
Business Administration & Management Focus, Renewable Energy & Green Building Entrepreneurship
1991 to 1995
Unisinos
Master of Computer Applications, MCA Computer & Information Sciences
§ VI

Publications

Author, Commodity Trading Literature

§§§
Series
A GDK Publication
The GDK Commodity Trading Series

A multi-volume collection written to build professional expertise from the ground up, moving from foundational trade procedures through to specialized commodity intelligence. Each volume is designed for practitioners who need to understand not only how international transactions work on paper, but how they move, clear, and close in the real world.

§ VII

Core Competencies

The craft

International Trade Commodities Structuring Strategic Partnerships Cross-Border Negotiation Compliance & Documentation Counterparty Due Diligence Executive Communication Brazilian Portuguese French Spanish English
· · ·

If anything here resonates, a private conversation is welcomed. I do not pursue opportunities. I recognize them.

Gislaine De Abreu Macek