Alexandre Allard
Board Member, Impact One Consortium
Alexandre Allard is a French entrepreneur recognised for landmark projects at the intersection of urban regeneration, culture, and creative economy. After founding and later selling Consodata, one of the world’s largest consumer-data companies, he became known for leading some of the most ambitious restoration and cultural transformation projects from Europe to Asia and Latin America.
He is the founder of Cidade Matarazzo in São Paulo, one of Brazil’s most significant private urban-regeneration and heritage-restoration initiatives. The project integrates architecture, nature, art, hospitality, and creative industries, and is home to Rosewood São Paulo, designed by Jean Nouvel with interiors by Philippe Starck, and a permanent collection of over 400 works by Brazilian artists. Alongside Cidade Matarazzo, Allard co-founded AYA Earth Partners, Brazil’s largest ecosystem dedicated to accelerating regenerative and low-carbon economies.
The MATA urban development concept expanded in 2025 with the announcement of Mata Maravilha in Rio de Janeiro, alongside new projects planned in Doha, Albania and other global locations, as well as major initiatives such as the Salvador Portal, Mata Camboriú, the Mata Farm Resort and the ultra-luxury Mata Ipanema Oasis. The Rio initiative will transform the historic port district into a 223,000 m² ecosystem featuring native forest, AI-enabled green towers and the largest urban park on Guanabara Bay, bringing new life to an area long marked by industrial decline and positioning Rio as a reference point for sustainable urban development.
With a background in technology, media, and creative industries, Allard has built and led multiple companies since the 1990s, including ventures in digital publishing, advertising, art direction, microcredit, and luxury fashion. His earlier work includes the celebrated refurbishment of Royal Monceau in Paris and heritage preservation efforts in Beijing’s historic Qianmen district. His cultural initiatives have involved collaborations with major global artists and designers, generating award-winning programmes such as the “Demolition Party” and the exhibition Made by… Feito por Brasileiros, recognised as Brazil’s best cultural initiative in 2014.
Allard has received numerous honours, including the São Paulo State Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the APCA Award for cultural innovation, and multiple distinctions for entrepreneurial achievement in France and Brazil.
As a Board Member of the Impact One Consortium, he contributes to shaping innovative models for nature-positive, regenerative urban development, drawing on his extensive experience in placemaking, creative economies, and large-scale cultural activation.