Biography
Rita Marques is a faculty member and Director of the Centre for Tourism Futures at Porto Business School, and an Executive Board Member at Pestana Hotel Group, Portugal’s leading hospitality group.
Her career brings together executive leadership and organizational transformation, with a particular focus on tourism and hospitality strategy, digital transformation, and sustainability. She is part of the curatorial team of Fundação Livraria Lello, where she served as President for the 2023–2026 term, and is also an Expert at the European Commission’s Just Transition Platform and a Group Leader at the Harnessing Talent Platform, working at the intersection of public policy, regional competitiveness, and talent development.
From 2019 to 2022, she served as Portugal’s Secretary of State for Tourism, Commerce and Services, contributing to national and European responses during the COVID-19 crisis, and was a member of the Executive Committee of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. She was also CEO of Portugal Ventures, the Portuguese public venture capital firm supporting innovative and high-growth companies. Rita Marques holds an MBA from the University of Southern California.