Archives: Comunicados de Imprensa

The José de Mello Group was distinguished with the prestigious 2024 IMD Global Family Business Award, an annual prize granted to family-based business groups and companies by IMD, the renowned international management and leadership school.

Upon bestowing this international distinction, which sees nominations of family businesses from all over the world, the award jury praised the José de Mello Group for its values, its governance model, the role and commitment of its shareholder family throughout several generations, for the resilience with which it has always tackled economic shocks and changes in regime, as well as for the way in which the next generation is being prepared and mentored.

The award jury, constituted by family business experts and winners of previous editions, also commended the way in which the José de Mello Group and the José de Mello family have continued the historic legacy started by Alfredo da Silva in 1898 with the CUF Group, by continuously seeking a business performance directed towards entrepreneurship, innovation, excellence and social responsibility, thus seen as an example for other family groups and businesses.

“The José de Mello Group has proven its resilience and adaptability in the face of uncertainty and has defined an exceptional governance model with long-term vision, developing initiatives to foster entrepreneurship and innovation while continuously shaping the business landscape both in Portugal and beyond”, said Peter Vogel, director of the IMD Global Family Business Center.

“This award recognises a persistent and consistent entrepreneurial path, started by my great-grandfather Alfredo da Silva and rebuilt by my father José Manuel de Mello, who instilled in our family the desire to remain united and committed to our purpose. It is also a tribute to my siblings and a recognition of all the people who work at the José de Mello Group, to whom I convey my gratitude for keeping our corporate culture alive, and for being examples of competence, human development, innovation and integrity”, said Salvador de Mello, CEO of José de Mello Group.

The award ceremony was held in Tokyo last night, during the annual conference of the FBN (Family Business Network), IMD’s partner association.

About the Award

The IMD Global Family Business Award is a prestigious international award, which has been acknowledging and disseminating the best family businesses on a global scale since 1996. This is the first time the award has been given to a Portuguese business group.

For more information, see here

About IMD

IMD is an academic institution which for over 75 years has pioneered the training and development of leaders and organisations that contribute to a more prosperous, sustainable and inclusive world. Comprising a diverse faculty and campuses in Lausanne, Singapore and Shenzen, IMD offers executive education programmes and degrees consistently ranked among the best in the world.

For more information, see here

About the José de Mello Group

Heir to a historic legacy of more than 120 years, the José de Mello Group is one of the largest Portuguese family-run business groups. With a diversified intervention in the economy and a significant, value-generating presence in the sectors where it operates, the José de Mello Group pursues a future-oriented business strategy, supported by a culture based on the promotion of Sustainability and on the values of Competence, Human Development, Innovation and Integrity.

For more information, see here

The José de Mello Group hosted yesterday the 3rd edition of the Grow Innovation Award, distinguishing the startup that stood out more noticeably in the Grow programme, which fosters the connection of the Group’s companies to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

After introducing each of the finalist startups – Actif, MyCareforce, Tucuvi, Spotlite, and Wingdriver –, the jury decided to award the 10-thousand-euro prize to MyCareforce, in the wake of the analysis of each startup’s potential and the impact of the pilot tests carried out.

MyCareforce is a hiring platform for shift filling of clinical teams, which enables teams to be reinforced quickly and efficiently while ensuring their medical quality. It currently involves over 14,000 health professionals and more than 150 health companies, having already filled over 200,000 hours. The field-test for MyCareforce was implemented at CUF Tejo Hospital, with a view to testing the applicability of the solution to hire nurses, evaluating how facilitated and simplified the process was.

The Grow Innovation Award aims to distinguish a startup which, through the Grow programme, established a successful partnership with one the companies of the José de Mello Group, contributing to the development of the national entrepreneurial ecosystem.

For Pedro Rocha e Melo, executive board member of José de Mello, “the Grow Innovation Award strengthens our culture of innovation and our commitment to entrepreneurship. Through Grow, we aim to continue to value and stimulate partnerships between startups and large companies”.

Launched in 2017, Grow is a programme that includes all the companies affiliated with the José de Mello Group, and strives to reinforce the connection to the startup ecosystem, supporting and fast-tracking the development of innovative projects. In the past six years, over 2,500 startups were contacted, resulting in 53 field-tests and 15 contracts.

Grow links startups to José de Mello Group companies, creating partnerships that provide the startups with the opportunity to test their solutions in the actual market and accelerate the growth of their business.

Investments extend presence to the Douro and Vinho Verde regions

The José de Mello Grupo has set up a new business platform, named WineStone, to strengthen its business operations in the wine sector, thus furthering its ambition to grow in different areas of economic activity.

The decision stemmed from the rapid growth trend displayed by Ravasqueira in the past few years, which led to identifying the wine sector as an area with strong development potential for the José de Mello Group.

As an asset manager, WineStone is now carrying out its first operations with a view to expanding its portfolio: Quinta do Retiro Novo, Krohn, Quinta do Côtto and Paço de Teixeiró.

Following these investments, WineStone now manages wine production assets in Alentejo (Ravasqueira), Douro (Quinta do Retiro Novo and Quinta do Côtto) and Vinho Verde region (Paço de Teixeiró), thus expanding its production and exporting capabilities, entering new markets and new segments. Acquiring the time-honoured brand of Port wine Krohn also enables the entry of WineStone into a new wine category.

WineStone cherishes the ambition of becoming one of the major players in the wine sector in Portugal, under its Executive President, Pedro Pereira Gonçalves, who has led Ravasqueira’s development and market affirmation process in recent years.

In the words of Salvador de Mello, Executive President of the José de Mello Group, “the launch of the new business platform WineStone represents one more step towards achieving our growth ambition. It also constitutes a challenge for us to take on a leading position in the wine sector, as we have done in the other business areas where we operate”.

For Pedro Pereira Gonçalves, “our main goal is to develop a growth strategy that is ambitious, consistent and sustainable, with a long-term perspective, so that we are able to produce and market top-quality wines in all the regions where we operate, with brands that are admired by the consumers of the different sectors in the domestic market, and that have a strong impact in the international markets.”

António Horta Osório will join the Board of Directors of José de Mello, the holding company of the José de Mello Group, taking up his non-executive duties on the 1^st of September.

António Horta Osório began his professional career at Citibank Portugal in 1987, before moving on to Goldman Sachs. Since 1993, he has gained vast international experience in leading financial institutions in Portugal, Brazil, the UK and Switzerland, having worked for Santander, Lloyds and Credit Suisse. He currently holds non-executive positions on the boards of Bial, Impresa and the Champalimaud Foundation.

“Given his background and international experience, António Horta Osório will make an important contribution to achieving our strategic vision and ambition for growth in the coming years”, says Vasco de Mello, chairman of the Board of Directors of José de Mello.

António Horta Osório states that he accepts “the challenge to contribute to the implementation of the growth and internationalisation strategy of the José de Mello Group with great enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility”.

As a result of this change, the Board of Directors of José de Mello will be made up of the following members: Vasco de Mello (chairman), Pedro de Mello and Salvador de Mello (vice-chairmen), António Horta Osório, Gonçalo de Mello, Isabel Jonet, João Azevedo Coutinho, João de Mello, Luís Brito de Goes, Maria Amélia de Mello Bleck, Pablo Forero, Pedro Rocha e Melo, Raúl Galamba de Oliveira and Rui Diniz.

The Executive Committee of José de Mello maintains the following members: Salvador de Mello (CEO), João Azevedo Coutinho, João de Mello, Luís Brito de Goes, Pedro Rocha e Melo and Rui Diniz.

Yesterday, José de Mello Group promoted the awarding ceremony of Grow Innovation Award, which aims to recognize the two best startups that participated in the Grow program and carried out pilots within the Group’ companies.

After the pitch presentation by each of the four finalist startups – Biosurfit, Clynx, Matereo and Vialytics -, the jury decided to give first place to Clynx and second place to Vialytics, which received a monetary prize of 15 thousand and 6 thousand euros, respectively.

The jury’s decision considered the intrinsic potential of each startup and the results of the pilot projects.

Grow Innovation Award is an initiative supported by the Amélia de Mello Foundation, reinforcing its contribution to the promotion of entrepreneurship.

Salvador de Mello, CEO at the José de Mello Group, considers that “Grow Innovation Award reinforces our long-standing commitment to Innovation, an essential pillar of the Group’s strategy.”

Launched in February 2017, Grow connects the Group’ companies to the startup ecosystem, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative projects.

More information about Grow at grow.josedemello.pt

Pablo Forero was elected to the José de Mello’s Board of Directors, the José de Mello Group´s holding company, at yesterday’s General Meeting.

Pablo Forero was the Executive Chairman at Banco BPI, representing shareholder Caixa Bank, until November 2020. From 2009 to 2017, he worked specifically in the areas of asset management and investment consulting, funding, capital markets and risk management. Prior to that, he worked at Arthur Andersen, Manufacturers Hanover, and JP Morgan.

José de Mello´s Board of Director is now compromised by: Vasco de Mello (chairman), Pedro de Mello and Salvador de Mello (vice-chairmen), Gonçalo de Mello, Isabel Jonet, João de Mello, João Azevedo Coutinho, Luís Brito de Goes, Maria Amélia de Mello Bleck, Pablo Forero, Pedro Rocha e Melo, Raúl Galamba de Oliveira and Rui Diniz.

José de Mello’s Executive Comittee remains composed by: Salvador de Mello (chairman), João de Mello, João Azevedo Coutinho, Luís Brito de Goes, Pedro Rocha e Melo and Rui Diniz.

On the 17^th and 18^th of March, José de Mello Group will host an event dedicated to the European startup community in the areas of mobility, health and senior care, through a partnership with the European Innovation Council (EIC), European Commission’s structure responsible for the promotion of innovation.

The EIC Procurers Day powered by José de Mello Group received 125 applications from 23 countries. The innovation teams of Brisa, CUF and José de Mello Residências e Serviços selected 37 applicants from 17 countries. For two days, these startups will share their solutions and ideas and participate in individual meetings with representatives from the three José de Mello Group companies.

This EIC initiative aims to accelerate startups’ market entry, bringing them closer to large companies so they can explore potential partnerships. Similarly, Grow by Jose the Mello was created in 2017 with the purpose of strengthening the connection between José de Mello Group companies and the startup ecosystem, with the aim of supporting and accelerating the development of innovative technologies.

Salvador de Mello, CEO at the José de Mello Group, considers that “this is a unique opportunity to get to know some of the most disruptive startups in Europe. Innovation is one of our values ​​and this initiative allows us to sustain, and strengthen, the José de Mello Group’s commitment towards the growth and sustainable development of the communities where we operate. The synergies that emerge through these events promote knowledge transfer, contribute to the growth and development of startups, and to the introduction of innovative technologies in our businesses.”

In the context of a new cycle of business development, sustained by a solid financial situation, the José de Mello family Shareholders’ Board has decided to appoint Salvador de Mello as executive chairman of José de Mello.

Vasco de Mello will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors of José de Mello, now in non-executive functions, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Brisa and as Chairman of the Board of the Amélia de Mello Foundation.

Pedro de Mello will remain vice-chairman of the Board of Directors of José de Mello, now in non-executive functions, which he accumulates with the chairmanship of Sociedade Agrícola D. Diniz (Monte da Ravasqueira). The chairmanship of the Shareholders’ Board of the José de Mello family will remain under Pedro de Mello’s responsibility.

Upon assuming the executive chairmanship of José de Mello, Salvador de Mello will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors of CUF, now with non-executive functions, and Rui Diniz will assume the functions of Executive Chairman.

The new executive leadership of Salvador de Mello also aims to continue an historical business legacy begun in 1898 by Alfredo da Silva, enabling the growth and development of the José de Mello Group and maintaining the commitment to contribute to the dynamization of the national economy and the future of Portugal.

For Vasco de Mello, “the change in the executive chairmanship stems from a natural succession process, at a time when the José de Mello Group is prepared to face a new cycle of business growth and the development of new opportunities with ambition, continuing an historical business legacy of over 120 years and reinforcing our long-term commitment to contribute to the future of Portugal“.

These changes take effect today and do not determine any other changes in the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of José de Mello.

The José de Mello Group concluded today the sale of a 40% stake of the voting rights in Brisa, following the sale agreement publicly announced on 28 April.

The agreement entered into with a consortium of international investors consists of a strategic partnership with the José de Mello Group, which will remain as a reference shareholder in Brisa, holding approximately 17% of the voting rights.

With the entry of a new majority shareholder in Brisa, a new Board of Directors will be appointed, which will continue to be chaired by Vasco de Mello, and a new Executive Committee, chaired by António Pires de Lima.

The purchasing Consortium has extensive experience in the management of infrastructure companies and a long-term vision on the investments it makes and is constituted by three institutional investors, namely APG (asset manager of the pension fund of the civil servants and the education sector in the Netherlands), NPS (national pension service of the Republic of Korea) and Swiss Life AM (life insurance asset manager of the largest Swiss insurance company).

“The José de Mello Group remains committed and intends to keep contributing to Brisa’s success as a financially sound, sustainable and relevant company in the Portuguese economy. The scale of the three entities that constitute the purchasing consortium, their long-term view on their investments and their accumulated experience in the infrastructure sector will allow Brisa to continue its growth and development plans.”, stated Vasco de Mello, chairman of the José de Mello Group.

The completion of this transaction strengthens Brisa’s status as an international reference in its sector, confirms its financial robustness and recognizes the good management performance of the José de Mello Group.

The José de Mello Group and the Arcus European Infrastructure Fund 1 LP managed by Arcus European Investment Manager LLP (Arcus) reached an agreement today with a Consortium of international investors for the joint sale of two blocks of shares representing a total of 81.1% of Brisa’s voting rights, valuing the company equity at more than €3 billion.

The Consortium that is buying the equity stake has accumulated experience in managing infrastructure companies, has a long-term vision in the investments it makes and is comprised of three institutional investors, namely APG (the asset manager of ABP, pension fund for employees in the government and education sectors in the Netherlands), the National Pension Service of the Republic of Korea, and Swiss Life Asset Managers (the asset manager of the largest Swiss life insurance company).

The acquisition will be made through a vehicle directly and indirectly wholly owned by the Consortium and jointly controlled by APG and the National Pension Service of the Republic of Korea.

The agreement they have entered into is a long-term strategic partnership between the Consortium and the José de Mello Group, which remains a strategic shareholder in Brisa, with a 17% voting position and active participation in management, with Vasco de Mello continuing as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The Consortium considers Brisa to be one of the main international benchmarks in the infrastructure sector and intends to actively contribute to the company’s growth and development, both in current businesses and in new business areas.

This deal confirms Brisa’s financial robustness and sustainability and its potential for growth and appreciation while recognising the consistency and good performance of José de Mello Group and Arcus.

This deal is one of the largest foreign investments in Portugal in recent years. The fact that it was formalised and announced in the current economic context, of strong uncertainty, is particularly relevant.

The president of the José de Mello Group, Vasco de Mello, said “this partnership is a sign of confidence in Portugal and the Portuguese economy in a context of great adversity. It represents a unique opportunity for Brisa to strengthen its position and leverage its expertise in mobility “.

The José de Mello Group was advised on the overall process and transaction by Rothschild & Co, and Caixa – Banco de Investimento regarding certain financing arrangements. Legal advice was provided by Vieira de Almeida & Associados, Clifford Chance and Loyens & Loeff.

Completion of the deal is subject to approval by the relevant regulators and expected to occur during the third quarter of this year.