Alumnus of CAGE – Curso de Administração e Gestão de Empresas (former Degree in Management) – 1999, José Cavadas is currently Managing Director at Rawlplug Group, leading the organisations in Switzerland, Portugal and Spain.
What led you to choose a Degree in Management and, in particular, Católica Porto Business School? What kind of professional future did you imagine at that stage? At the time, at 16, I must admit I came to Católica almost by chance and influenced by four classmates from Escola Secundária da Maia, who decided to take the entrance exams for Católica’s Foundation Year.
After completing your degree, what happened next? What was the first step in your career and which lessons from that early stage proved decisive for what followed? I completed my degree at a time when companies were queueing at Católica to recruit. Taking advantage of that period, during the “summer holidays” of my third and fourth years, I swapped the beach for an internship at Cetelem – BNP and, the following year, at Optimus, during the launch of Optimus as the third mobile operator.
These two experiences (two pieces of my puzzle) defined my professional path – starting my career in sales, truly understanding customer needs, and then developing into product marketing.
When did the decision to move abroad arise? Was it a strategic choice, an unexpected opportunity, or a necessity? Looking back, would you follow the same path? The decision to leave the country was not defined in a single moment, but rather through a journey I undertook. It first emerged from my curiosity about the unknown, which led me to Madrid – Universidad Carlos III de Madrid – in the final semester of my fifth year. After that first international experience, I decided to join the Hilti Group in sales, with the prospect of internal development and an international career within the Group (two more pieces of my puzzle). I must admit I do not spend much time looking back, because by definition the path is made forwards :)
Working and living outside Portugal brought clear gains, but also challenges. What did you gain from the international experience, professionally and personally, and what did you feel you lost in the process? Working and living outside Portugal exposed me to a range of unique realities, experiences and challenges. It accustomed me to always working to exceed expectations and to understanding the impact that approach can have on ourselves, on our teams and on the company we work with. On a personal level, I was fortunate to be with someone who always shared this vision, accompanied me and supported me throughout the journey (the foundation of my entire puzzle). I believe in life we only lose what is less relevant; what truly matters always remains, and distance does not make it irrelevant.
From a career perspective, what are the most striking differences between building a professional path in Portugal and doing so in an international context? The international context is a true school of life, culture and values that is added to who we already are. I believe it is precisely because of the solid foundation of Portuguese values, education and culture that I was able to add value internationally in everything I did. It is no coincidence that Portuguese professionals are so highly regarded abroad.
Today you hold a senior leadership position across several markets. What did you have to invest in – in terms of skills, time, sacrifices or difficult choices – to reach where you are? Investment must be made along the journey, recognising the skills we may need to further develop and always with a clear purpose. When we do things with enjoyment and with purpose, managing priorities and investing in another piece of the puzzle we truly want to be part of becomes easier. Nothing is achieved without hard work and some difficult choices.
You currently lead operations in Switzerland, Portugal and Spain as Managing Director of Rawlplug, a company with over 100 years of history. How do you build leadership and alignment in multicultural teams across different countries? In my view, true leadership is the result of the entire puzzle – everything we become personally and professionally – and how that translates into planning and executing every task and challenge we face.
The foundation of leading multicultural teams across different countries is the same: listening, respecting others, and intervening only when necessary. In sales, I learned the 80/20 rule – a good salesperson listens 80% of the time and speaks only 20%.
After such a solid international career, is returning to Portugal something you consider? What message would you leave to our students and alumni? Like most Portuguese people, longing is a feeling that cannot be explained, only felt. For that reason, I have always considered returning to Portugal one day as a natural step in my personal and professional development.
Just like the decision to leave, returning should be prepared and planned, both personally and financially, and as part of a clearly defined path – it should not be underestimated. Returning can even be more challenging than the initial decision to leave.
Favourite book: Good to Great, by James Collins.
Most influential figure at Católica Porto Business School: Professor Aldónio Ferreira – Management Control, whom I had the pleasure of meeting again in 2007 during a business trip to Australia.
Fun fact: During travel breaks, my favourite activity is working on my farm, planting and watching things grow.
Success is achievable by everyone, as it is built mainly through hard work (perspiration) and only partially through luck or innate talent (inspiration).
