Alumnus of the Double Degree in Management (Católica Porto Business School) and Marketing (Corvinus University Budapest), Pedro Leite completed the programme in 2023 and is currently Shopper-Based Design Manager at Procter & Gamble (P&G). As part of the Católica Porto Business School alumni feature, we wanted to get to know Pedro a little better.
Most exciting professional challenge: Leading, from day one, the activation of the purchase moment for iconic brands such as Gillette, Pantene and Oral-B at the world’s largest non-food consumer goods company.
How did Católica Porto Business School support your professional journey? It gave me the opportunity to learn how to simplify problems and apply critical thinking, as well as to experience a unique year in Budapest through the Double Degree, which was a time of significant personal growth. Through the mentoring programme, I was also fortunate to be guided by my fantastic mentor, Sofia Bargiela, a leading professional in the sector I was aiming for. Her guidance helped me seize opportunities and ultimately achieve my dream of joining P&G.
How did the mentoring programme experience contribute to your preparation and success in joining P&G? Above all, it helped me realise that I wanted to start my career in the consumer goods industry. Through my mentor, I gained insights into the industry, career perspectives, and support in refining my CV and preparing for interviews. Combined with what I learnt during the Double Degree in Budapest — particularly in a course where I simulated being a Country Manager in the consumer goods sector with a former McKinsey/L’Oréal professor — I felt prepared to seek out an opportunity and, with a bit of luck, join the company I had always aspired to work for.
Favourite book: "How Brands Grow"
Favourite podcast: "How I Built This with Guy Raz"
Most influential figure at our School: Without a doubt, my supervisor Ricardo Morais. Someone who challenges the status quo and always brings a fresh perspective to the table, encouraging critical thinking and innovation.
Personal curiosity: I grew up among the shelves of my paternal grandparents’ corner shop and with maternal grandparents who lived to help others. Ironically, 20 years later, I’m working in the consumer goods sector at a company whose mission is to impact people and improve lives.