A day of celebration at Porto Business School, which brought together two hundred alumni in an event dedicated to the theme of leadership - Leading through Uncertainty.
Alumni Day, which annually gathers the Porto Business School community, marked the beginning of the 35th anniversary celebrations of the school.
José Esteves, Dean of Porto Business School, welcomed the Porto Business School community, welcoming everyone who participated in this day of celebration, knowledge sharing, socializing, and recognition for the impactful journey of Porto Business School alumni, with the Alumni Award.
That morning had two great moments. The debate panel, the first great moment, was dedicated to the theme "Leading through Uncertainty" and had Oliver Balch, freelance journalist, as moderator. Enase Okonedo, Vice-chancellor of the Pan-Atlantic University; Soumitra Dutta, Dean of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford; Steef van de Velde, Board Member of AMBA - The Association of MBAs; Cecília Meireles, former deputy of the Assembly of the Republic, lawyer, and Alumna of Porto Business School; and Etienne Huret, CEO of Natixis Portugal were the guest speakers for this panel.
In this panel, the speakers shared their vision on leadership in the current context and the importance of developing soft skills, such as resilience, empathy, adaptability. We live and operate in a world in a constantly changing market, partly greatly by digital transformation. Indeed, everything happens faster, and leaders do not have much time to think.
Two reminds shared by all speakers and considered essential for any of us - humility and lifelong learning - in a world intrinsically connected and constantly changing, and where this interconnectivity has profoundly changed the way we live.
The Porto Business School Alumni Awards ceremony was the second great moment of the morning.
Felipe D’Ávila, CEO and Founder of Infraspeak, was honored with the Porto Business School Alumni Revelation 2023 Award. Throughout his career, Felipe D’Ávila participated in various ventures. He founded Cooltiva-te and TALKS 2.0. In addition, he also played a crucial role in UPTEC's start-up acceleration program, where he mentored over 250 start-ups. Felipe D’Ávila is an Alumnus of the Executive MBA 2012/2013.
Sandra Santos, CEO of BA Glass since 2014, was honored with the Porto Business School Alumni Career 2023 Award.
In 2021, she was awarded the BPI Businesswoman of the Year award, which celebrates the talent and professional excellence of Portuguese women, who stand out for their career, strategic vision, innovation, and leadership capacity. Sandra Santos completed her MBA journey in 1999.
Alumni Day, which marked the beginning of the 35th anniversary celebrations of Porto Business School, culminated with a lunch on the school's deck and moments of socializing and reunions that lasted throughout the afternoon.
