In front of a full audience the Dean of Católica Porto Business School, João Pinto, and Luís Marques, the Executive MBA Director, opened the conference “Executive MBA - 20 Years: Past, Present and Future.” The event began with a short film outlining the program's history and growth, followed by a debate on its current state and future prospects as a leading European MBA.
The first guest-speaker to take the stage was Ricardo Costa, CEO of Grupo Bernardo da Costa, who spoke about the importance of the MBA in personal development. An alumnus of the International MBA at Católica Porto Business School, Ricardo Costa mentioned that completing the program in 2011 coincided with his appointment as CEO. He highlighted that the experience was crucial for his company's growth, expansion, internationalization, and increase in business volume.
After Ricardo Costa's presentation, the first roundtable of the afternoon followed, moderated by Sofia Salgado, Assistant Professor at Católica Porto Business School. The theme "MBA: Past, Present, and Future" set the stage for personal and professional experience sharing by Hugo Ribeiro da Silva, CEO of Centro Porsche Porto, Joana Roda, Director of People & Culture at COLEP Packaging, and Arménio Rego, Full Professor at Católica Porto Business School.
The second intervention was given by Vitor Ribeirinho, CEO of KPMG Portugal, who discussed the MBA and new management challenges. In his view, the main challenges facing managers include change and uncertainty, where information should lead to well-considered decisions, innovation as a business process and a pillar of corporate strategy, the need for diversity and talent, and sustainability.
The following segment brought the second roundtable discussion, on the theme "New Management Practices," featuring contributions from Carlos Mota Santos, CEO of Mota-Engil, Rui Ferreira, CEO of Super Bock Group, and Cristina Gaspar, former Vice-President of the National Association of Pharmacies. The session was moderated by Alberto Castro, Visiting Professor at Católica Porto Business School, who posed various questions to the guests.
The conference concluded with remarks from Luís Marques, who took the opportunity to thank all attendees, emphasizing it as a moment affirming the ambition for improvement and evolution of the Executive MBA at Católica Porto Business School.
The 20th edition of the Executive MBA begins in October. If you want to learn more about this programme, click here.
