Porto Business School is opening a new cycle of growth and internationalization, strengthening its presence in Lisbon and activating its alumni community across three strategic geographies: Lisbon, Luanda and São Paulo. The opening of a new permanent space in the Portuguese capital, the PBS Boardroom – Executive Breakfast and the launch of the Alumni Chapters reflect an integrated strategy of proximity to companies, leaders, partners and alumni.
More than a geographic expansion, this movement reinforces the School’s ambition to be closer to decision-making centers, business ecosystems and its global community. Lisbon emerges as a new strategic platform to deepen relationships with the business community, alumni, faculty, partners and leaders who are transforming the economy and society. Luanda and São Paulo strengthen Porto Business School’s international reach and its connection to the Portuguese-speaking world, Africa and Latin America.
In the Portuguese capital, the expansion is materialized through the opening of a permanent physical space on Avenida Fontes Pereira de Melo, in a central area of Lisbon. This new space reinforces Porto Business School’s presence close to the country’s main decision-making centers and creates new opportunities for connection, learning and collaboration with companies, partners, alumni and executives.
The start of this new cycle was also marked by the PBS Boardroom – Executive Breakfast, organized in partnership with Cuatrecasas and with the support of Amazon Web Services. The event brought together senior executives for a conversation on leadership, technology and transformation, featuring Phil Le-Brun, AWS executive and former Global CIO of McDonald’s, who shared his experience at the intersection of strategy, culture, data and innovation.
The PBS Boardroom is positioned as a high-level platform for dialogue between business leaders, academics and strategic partners. By promoting conversations on critical topics for contemporary leadership, the initiative strengthens Porto Business School’s ability to generate relevant management thinking, address the real challenges faced by organizations and deepen its relationship with companies and decision-makers in Lisbon.
Simultaneously, Porto Business School is consolidating its alumni community through a network of Alumni Chapters in Lisbon, Luanda and São Paulo. This network was created to reinforce a sense of belonging, promote qualified networking, encourage lifelong learning and create new opportunities for collaboration among alumni, companies, faculty, students and local leaders.
The Lisbon Alumni Chapter, launched on May 20, brings together an influential community of Porto Business School alumni in the capital, composed of leaders with senior responsibilities in leading organizations and across sectors such as technology, energy, healthcare, consulting, industry, financial services, retail, entrepreneurship, the public sector and social impact.
This structure will be led by Isabel Borgas, from NOS SGPS; Arnaldo Barbosa, from Galp; Filipa Krohn, from Remax Siimgroup; and Luís Lourenço, from Central Pharma Group. Designed as a living platform for connection and collaboration, the Lisbon Chapter will promote networking initiatives, mentoring programs, knowledge sharing, business immersions and new ways to connect the School with its community in the capital.
The movement gained international scale on June 9, with the official launch of the Alumni Chapters in Luanda and São Paulo. In Luanda, the ceremony took place at ENAPP – Escola Nacional de Administração e Políticas Públicas, highlighting the historical, cultural and economic relationship between Portugal and Angola. In São Paulo, the event was held at the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, positioning Brazil as a strategic market due to its scale, business sophistication and economic dynamism.
The Luanda Alumni Chapter includes Cátia Pinto, Head of Health Technologies Business Unit at Servinfor Angola; Sebastião Tchissanha, journalist at TPA; and Vera Fontes, Chief Medical Officer at Luanda Medical Center. The São Paulo Alumni Chapter includes Thiago Furbino, founder of TL.MF. Curadoria & Estratégia; Bruna Salles, Performance Manager at iFood; Camilla Torres, Purchasing Manager at Frysk; and Rodrigo Gonçalves, Finance Manager at ASSA ABLOY Group.
Together, the Lisbon, Luanda and São Paulo Chapters represent more than an alumni structure: they are a global platform for belonging, collaboration and impact. Through this network, Porto Business School projects its community beyond campus, transforming the alumni experience into a living asset for organizations, cities and society.
For José Esteves, Dean of Porto Business School, this new cycle reflects an ambition of proximity and impact: “Lisbon is not just a new location for PBS. It is a new platform of ambition for our community. We want to be closer to the leaders, companies and ecosystems where many of the country’s transformations are being shaped. But this movement only makes sense because it is born from the PBS community: alumni, faculty, companies and partners who already take the School into organizations and society. We want every member of this network to feel part of this expansion. With Lisbon, São Paulo and Luanda, we are building a PBS that is closer, more international and more plural, capable of connecting knowledge, technology, leadership and impact.”
With this expansion, Porto Business School reaffirms its ambition to be an increasingly close, international and plural business school. A school born in Porto, growing in Lisbon and projecting itself to the world through its alumni community, partners and the impact it generates in organizations, cities and society.