Alumna of the Atlantic MBA at Católica Porto Business School (2011), Nicole Santos has built an international career in risk management, financial controlling and executive leadership. She is currently Manager, Group Financial Controlling at DSV – Global Transport and Logistics, one of the world’s largest logistics companies, while also maintaining a close connection to our School as a mentor for Executive MBA students.

You started your career in risk management. Was that always your original plan? My initial plan was to work in the banking sector, but after gaining experience in different areas during an internship, I identified more with risk management in large companies. This field combines financial knowledge with an understanding of different industries and business challenges.

Throughout your career, you gradually took on greater responsibilities until reaching executive positions. How did you experience that evolution and what challenges did you encounter? It was a natural but demanding evolution, as my perspective shifted from being purely operational to becoming more strategic. The main challenges were related to team management, the scale of projects and the increasing complexity of the roles.

You had a close connection to Católica Porto Business School as a professor. What did you take away from that experience? It was a very enriching experience, which only ended for professional and personal reasons. I would like to return to teaching one day, because teaching is also a way of continuing to learn.

You currently maintain that connection as a mentor for MBA students. Is it more an experience of sharing or also of learning? Both. Mentoring allows us to share experience, challenges and mistakes to avoid, while also meeting people with a strong desire to grow and learn in different professional contexts.

What value do you see in mentoring relationships, both for mentors and for those just starting out? Every professional should have a mentor throughout their career. Mentoring helps provide perspective, accelerates learning and allows people to benefit from the experience of someone who has likely faced similar challenges.

You currently work at DSV – Global Transport and Logistics in a demanding global environment. Your career has grown rapidly, are there “growing pains” along the way? Yes. Those “growing pains” are mainly linked to increased responsibility and the need for constant adaptation. DSV’s rapid growth, now becoming the world’s largest logistics company, has also brought new organisational and leadership challenges.

Pedagogy and knowledge sharing seem to be present throughout your journey. Have they always been part of who you are, or were they developed over time? I come from a family with many teachers, so pedagogy has always been present in my life, as well as a passion for sharing knowledge.

Favourite book and podcast: "The Power of Positive Thinking", by Norman Vincent Peale, and the podcast "Contas do Dia" by Antena 1.

Most influential figure at Católica Porto Business School: Professor Álvaro Nascimento.

Fun fact: I was born in Edmonton, a city in western Canada.