Petrobras CFO replaces Parente as CEO

Monteiro, who has been chief financial officer since 2015, was given the interim job during a board meeting that came just hours after Parente stepped down following intense criticism during a trucker strike that crippled Latin America’s biggest economy.

Monteiro previously held the CFO role at Banco do Brasil SA. Since joining Petrobras, he oversaw a reduction in the company’s total debt, resumed regular financial statements after reaching an agreement with auditors, and successfully extended the company’s debt payment schedule.

In December, Monteiro led the initial public offering of Petrobras Distribuidora SA, the country’s biggest IPO since 2013.

Parente’s resignation highlights the erosion of support for market-friendly policies after two years of austerity under President Michel Temer.

The resignation sent shares in Petroleos Brasileiros SA down as much as 22%, the most since 1999, and caused the Brazilian currency to drop as much as 1% against the dollar as investors pondered the effect on Brazil’s economy.