ACTING GLOCAL
Sovena Group's well-thought-out strategies have made it one of the largest olive oil companies in the world and the largest packer of oils and olive oils in Iberia.

BIOGRAPHY
Jorge de Melo has a degree in management and business administration from Universidade Católica Portuguesa and has attended several postgraduate courses in the same field. He has a strong experience in business, consulting, and management in the consumer sector both in Portugal and the US. He assumed his current role as CEO of Sovena Group at the beginning of 2018.What have been the company's milestones and achievements in the last few years?
We are part of a family business group that has concentrated its efforts in the edible oil sector in the last few years and become one of the largest olive oil companies in the world. At present, we have direct operations in seven countries across four continents, and we export to more than 70 others. We employ more than 1,300 people and own the largest private olive grove at more than 15,000ha. Our mission is to bring olive oil to everyone, and for that we execute different strategies in different markets.
How have you expanded your presence internationally?
The international expansion of Sovena began in 2002 with the acquisition of an company in Spain, a market that made perfect sense because it was the world's leading producer of olive oil. From there we began to develop the export business. We acquired an olive oil brand with a strong reputation in Brazil—Andorinha—and today we are one of the biggest companies to operate in the olive oil business in the country. The US market represents about 10% of global consumption of olive oil, so we considered being strategic there with a local physical presence. Thus, in 2005, we acquired a position in a company—East Coast Olive Oil—and we are currently working with major US-based retail and full-service chains. In order to achieve greater control over the olive oil value chain, in 2007 we took an important step in our strategy with a focus on olive groves. At present, we have 15,000ha divided between Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. Sovena has become one of the largest companies in the world in the olive oil business and is the largest packer of oils and olive oils in Iberia. To accomplish this, the company's industrial units in Portugal, Spain, the US, and Tunisia played decisive roles.
Do you plan to enter other new markets?
50% of our revenue comes from Portugal and Spain, while the other half comes from around the world. 2018 will be a successful year, with group turnover of around EUR1.5 billion. Our base is in Portugal, but we view ourselves more as an international company. For example, we are the largest player in the French market and are growing our presence in important markets like Germany. Other countries that do not traditionally have high olive oil consumption levels, like China, are also our targets. We have a JV with an important local group in China, and in the midterm, China will be an important market for the consumption of olive oil.
Can you tell us more about your strategy of combining your global scope and local presence?
In Portugal, we are extremely focused on our brands, Fula (vegetable oil) and Oliveira da Serra (olive oil). The same goes for the Brazilian market, where we are present with our olive oil brand Andorinha. In Spain, we are developing other brands, like Soleada and Fontasol, while in the US, we have a local presence with our brand Olivari. The consumers in these various regions have different expectations, which is why we tailor our operations to each specific market.
What measures does the company consider to be eco-friendlier in its operations?
In 2019, we will have one more annual sustainability report, and as we are a diverse company in terms of operations, we have had different projects in different areas. We are in the process of developing more recycling and reuse processes. The agricultural project of the firm is an important project in terms of its eco-friendly strategy. The amount of CO2 that we capture from the atmosphere via our 15 million trees is extremely significant. This is the main driver of our work to reduce our footprint, though we have operations in many other areas.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus: Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries
Making an Impact
Established in 1996, the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP) is a mechanism geared at linking and sharing the experience of Lusophone countries. Besides Portugal, this includes Brazil, Portugal, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
read articleFocus
Don’t Mind the Disruption
Having won the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, Lisbon hosted the 2018 event. The relevance? Well, the contest began back in 1956 as a showcase not only of song, but of then-nascent live television broadcast technology. Today, Portugal is on the cutting edge of new technological developments.
read articleInterview
João Pedro Soeiro de Matos Fernandes , Minister , Environment and Energy Transition
The Ministry for the Environment and Energy Transition is focusing on decarbonizing the economy, valuing the territory and its habitats, and striving for a more circular use of the country's resources.
read articleInterview
António Braz Costa , General Manager, Portuguese Technological Centre for the Textile & Clothing Industries (CITEVE)
CITEVE has transformed the industry by promoting value addition, adopting the latest technologies, and ensuring the highest standards of environmental sustainability.
read articleFocus: New airport
Right Time to Seize Missed Opportunities
Portugal has seen its air traffic figures increase by as much as 80% in the last five years. As a result, its transportation infrastructure, and Lisbon's airport in particular, cannot cope with the rising numbers. A new airport project that will turn a military base into a commercial airport is now under discussion to bring much-needed relief to air traffic.
read articleInterview
Germano de Sousa , President, Grupo Germano de Sousa
Grupo Germano de Sousa's success can best be summed up by its understanding that science and medicine only really progress when technological development is combined with a deeper respect for human values and professional ethics.
read articleInterview
Isabel Capeloa Gil , Rector, Universidade Católica
Having pioneered the introduction of multiple subject areas to Portugal's tertiary education scene, Universidade Católica is aspiring to establish the country's first private medical school and introduce cutting-edge digital transformation.
read articleInterview
Carlos Guillén Gestoso , President, Escola Universitária de Ciências Empresariais, Saúde, Tecnologias e Engenharia & President, Atlantica University
Atlantica University differentiates through its company-university model and an MBA program in partnership with the University of California, Berkley, among other initiatives, to produce practical theoreticians.
read articleFocus: Public teaching staff
An Age-old Problem
Over a decade of austerity measures combined with an ageing population have seen the average age of the Portuguese public teaching staff progressively climb to one of the highest in the OECD. With frozen salaries, an extended retirement age, and precarious working conditions, today the sector faces one of its biggest challenge yet.
read articleInterview
Pedro Queiroz , General Manager, Federation of the Portuguese Agri-Food Industry (FIPA)
Portugal's economic recovery has seen its F&B sector emerge with annual turnovers of EUR16 billion, thanks to FIPA's undeterred focus on stable policies, excellent nutrition standards, and sustainability.
read article