Carlos Wizard Martins
Carlos "Wizard" Martins | |
|---|---|
 Professor Carlos Wizard Martins | |
| Born | 1956 (age 67–68) |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Alma mater | Brigham Young University |
| Occupation(s) | Professor, Author and Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder of Wizard Language Schools and the educational group Multi Education, |
| Website | www |
Carlos Wizard Martins (born 1956) is a Brazilian entrepreneur and founder of Grupo Multi, a company that offers franchises for English courses. Grupo Multi was bought out by Pearson in 2013.[1]
Biography
[edit]He was born in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.[2] When he was thirteen he and his parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was through interactions with missionaries of the church that he learned English. At age 18 Martins went to the United States where he worked in Newark, New Jersey for a time.
Martins served a mission for the church in Portugal and later served as a bishop. In the early 1980s he went back to the United States with his wife and young family to study at Brigham Young University, where he received a degree in Computer Science and Statistics.
He then worked as a computer systems analyst in Brazil. He soon realized he was earning more by teaching his colleagues English, so he formed Wizard by Pearson.
Martins and his wife, the former Vania Pimentel, are the parents of six children.
From 2001 to 2005 Martins served as president of the Brazil João Pessoa Mission.[2] Prior to this Martins had served for several years as president of the Campinas Brazil Castelo Stake.[3]
In 2002 Martins wrote a self-help book entitled Vencendo a Própria Crise (Overcoming Personal Crisis).
His 2012 book Desperte o milionário que há em você (Awake the Millionaire Inside of You) was a Brazilian bestseller.[4]
In his recent interview for the Creating Emerging Markets project at the Harvard Business School, he discusses in detail how he segmented the English language teaching market by developing a customized methodology which motivated executives and other students.[5]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Mance, Henry (3 December 2013). "Pearson buys Brazilian language school chain Grupo Multi". Financial Times. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ a b "New mission presidents", Church News, March 17, 2001, retrieved 2012-10-12
- ^ "New stake presidencies", Church News, February 10, 2001, retrieved 2012-10-12
- ^ Larsen, Kent (Oct 3, 2012), Is this the first bestseller by a Mormon not written in English?, A Motley Vision, retrieved 2012-10-12
- ^ "Interview with Carlos Wizard Martins". Creating Emerging Markets. Harvard Business School.
References
[edit]- Teichert, Erica J. (Winter 2009), "Unlocking Secret Talents", Alumni Updates, BYU Magazine: 68
- Soli, Ana Claudia (April 30, 2005), "Desire is power for language teacher", Church News, retrieved 2012-10-12
- article about plans for expansion by Language Wizard[dead link]