About
Sergio Zimerman is a Brazilian entrepreneur best known for creating Petz, the country’s largest chain of pet stores, and for judging entrepreneurial pitches on Shark Tank Brasil. Starting with a single outlet in 2002, he turned Petz into the first pet‑retail company listed on the São Paulo stock exchange. His friendly but no‑nonsense advice on television mirrors the down‑to‑earth style he uses to guide a workforce of thousands spread across more than 240 locations.
Zimerman’s growth strategy balances brick‑and‑mortar expansion with e‑commerce, vet clinics, and grooming salons. In 2024 he closed a headline‑grabbing merger with long‑time rival Cobasi, reinforcing Petz’s dominance in a market that keeps growing as Brazilians spend more on their animals. The business press has taken note: in 2025 the Prêmio Consumidor Moderno named him CEO of the Year, praise he credits to “a team that loves pets as much as customers do.”
Before Fame
Born on 12 March 1965 in São Paulo, Zimerman literally grew up inside a store—his parents replaced the living‑room walls with clothing racks in their small home in the Brás neighborhood. By age ten he was buying trinkets on credit from his father, reselling them, and keeping the profit, a taste of entrepreneurship that never left him.
Early ventures ranged from a toy shop to a beverage wholesaler and even performing as a children’s party clown. Not every trial succeeded: one business crashed hard enough that he briefly faced bankruptcy. Yet each setback sharpened his bargaining skills and cost discipline. In the late 1990s Zimerman tried—and failed—to secure a franchise from pet‑store chain Cobasi. The rejection sparked a bigger idea: build something better.
He opened the first Pet Center Marginal on a quiet Sunday in 2002. Shoppers were scarce, and the next morning the city fined him for a signage issue. Rather than throwing in the towel, he doubled down on customer service, novelty windows (he once leased a tiger to make a splash), and longer store hours. The bet worked; sales rose, investors noticed, and the name later changed to the catchy “Petz.
Trivia
- Human calculator: Fans of Shark Tank Brasil tease that Zimerman can add investment numbers faster than contestants can finish their pitch. One clip of his rapid mental math went viral on YouTube.
- Social‑media coach: His Instagram, now topping 50k followers with nearly 2 % engagement, blends boardroom insights and pet videos, encouraging would‑be founders to “test small, learn fast.”
- Animal advocate: Through the Instituto José Zimerman (named for his father), he finances free spay‑and‑neuter clinics and weekly adoption fairs hosted in Petz parking lots.
- Industry voice: In 2023 he accepted the presidency of LIDE Empreendedor, a business‑leadership group, where he pushes for simpler tax rules and ethical retail practices.
- First‑day flop, lifelong motto: Because nobody showed up at Petz’s debut, he tells new franchisees, “If day one is quiet, day two is your chance to impress the first customer.”
Family Life
Zimerman often credits his late father, José, for showing that small shops can teach big lessons about honesty and hustle. He is a proud dad of four. When one son earned a medical degree, Sergio posted a photo in cap and gown, calling it “the sort of achievement money can’t tag with a price.”
During a candid podcast, he thanked his first wife Helena for standing by him through an early bankruptcy and described how their children’s schooling stayed intact despite tight finances. The story, he says, reminds him that failure at work should never become failure at home.
Associated With
On Shark Tank Brasil Zimerman hears pitches alongside João Appolinário (Polishop), Carol Paiffer, José Carlos Semenzato, and Camila Farani, among others. The panel often disagrees on valuation, yet fellow Sharks praise Zimerman’s straightforward questions and willingness to co‑invest.
Beyond television, his closest corporate ties include Sony Channel Brasil, which airs the show; Cobasi, now a strategic partner after the 2024 merger; and the Instituto do Desenvolvimento do Varejo, where he helps shape retail policy. He also mentors founders through LIDE and funds seed‑stage startups focused on pet tech, sustainability, and accessible healthcare.
