Experience

Systemic

• Portugal
• Business Consulting and Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Sustainability Champion in Chief

  • Nov 2019 - Present

  Economist, 47 years old with 24 years of career experience in London and Lisbon. She began her career in 1997 in the research department of the investment bank Merrill Lynch in London and returned to Portugal at the end of 1999. In Portugal, she worked in NGOs, news agencies, and at the National Statistics Institute. In 2001, worked at the Pulp and Paper Industry Association. In 2004, she co-founded a boutique consultancy company Sustentare Lda, and worked with several Portuguese companies in the creation of their first sustainability reports and sustainability strategies, including 4 of the largest Portuguese banks. In March 2013, she co-founded SystemicSphere, a consultancy company specializing in sustainability trends and sustainability implementation practices. From January 2016 until June 2018 she was Secretary General at the Portuguese Business Council for Sustainable Development, in Lisbon, Portugal. From November 2018 until September 2019, she worked at the Cabinet of the Portuguese Ministry of Environment and Energy Transition, being responsible for the coordination of the “Portuguese Think Tank on Sustainable Finance”, led by the Ministry of Environment and in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economy. This group is composed by 17 other financial institutions (including 9 banks) and on the 8th of July 2019 all the members of this group subscribed the “Letter of Commitment for Sustainable Finance in Portugal”, being this the first major step towards sustainable finance in Portugal. Today, at Systemic, she oversees a team of 10 excellent sustainability practitioners, and she does consultancy on sustainability issues with companies and governmental entities, and works on international projects regarding climate finance and green bonds. She is a consultant for the Readiness Programme of the UN Green Climate Fund for the Africa Region. She is also member of the Investment Committee of the Portuguese Social Investment Fund. Show less



AdP - Águas de Portugal

• Portugal
• Utilities
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Presidente da Mesa da Assembleia Geral das Águas de Portugal

  • May 2020 - Present



Green Climate Fund

• South Korea
• International Affairs
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Readiness Technical Assistant Consultant - Africa

  • Sep 2020 - Present



Fundo de Inovação Social

• Lisboa

• Membro do Comité de Investimento

  • Jan 2019 - Present



Gabinete do Ministro do Ambiente e da Transição Energética

• Lisboa

• Técnica Especialista / Consultora

  • Nov 2018 - Sep 2019

  I was responsible for the coordination of the “Portuguese Think Tank Group for Sustainable Finance”, led by the Ministry of Environment and in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economics. This group is composed by 17 other financial institutions (including 9 banks) and on the 8th of July 2019 all the members of this group subscribed the “Letter of Commitment for Sustainable Finance in Portugal”, being this the first major step towards sustainable finance in Portugal. https://www.sg.mate.gov.pt/financiamento-sustentavel-em-portugal Show less



SystemicSphere

• Lisbon Area, Portugal

• Sustainable & Conscientious Economist

  • Jul 2018 - Oct 2018

  Agent of change for companies and universities. Advising and helping organisations to develop concrete projects to implement: Sustainable Development Goals; Green and Circular economy approaches; and Sustainable Finance practices. I encourage university students to study sustainable management and challenge business schools to embed new content in their daily activities and projects that foster Sustainable Development Goals. Agent of change for companies and universities. Advising and helping organisations to develop concrete projects to implement: Sustainable Development Goals; Green and Circular economy approaches; and Sustainable Finance practices. I encourage university students to study sustainable management and challenge business schools to embed new content in their daily activities and projects that foster Sustainable Development Goals.



K Evolution

• Portugal

• Memeber of the General Assembly

  • May 2017 - Oct 2018

  K Evolution is a Portuguese based Non Governmental Organization, that aims to promote the values of citizenship, entrepreneurship and sustainability, via formal and informal education methods, amogts the youth (7 to 23 years old). www.kevolution.org K Evolution is a Portuguese based Non Governmental Organization, that aims to promote the values of citizenship, entrepreneurship and sustainability, via formal and informal education methods, amogts the youth (7 to 23 years old). www.kevolution.org



BCSD Portugal - Conselho Empresarial para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável

• Lisbon

• Secretary General

  • Jan 2016 - Jun 2018



Conduct Culture People Research Foundation

• Research Associate

  • Aug 2015 - Dec 2016

  Developing research on issues that relate banks with ethics, business trust, compliance, regulation, etc. Developing research on issues that relate banks with ethics, business trust, compliance, regulation, etc.



SystemicSphere - research and intelligence

• Lisbon Area, Portugal

• Co-Founder

  • Mar 2013 - Dec 2015

  Systemicsphere promotes the social and environmental responsibility of organizations by maximizing their Ecological and Social Return on Investments. Our approach links the economic, environmental and social aspects in a common and entrepreneurial language. SystemicSphere is a research and consulting company that aims to help organizations to incorporate the future in their daily decisions. SystemicSphere is one of the few companies in Portugal that can bridge the gap between the economical-financial concepts and environmental and social issues. By doing this we believe we are promoting the real development of the green economy. Some of our services include the development of environmental, social and economic impact assessment of projects; the calculating of the ecological and social return on investment; the valoration of ecosystem services; an analysis of environmental and social risk in credit portfolios and / or investments; development of future scenarios for today's decision making process and reputation management. Our team includes experts from economics, management, environment, carbon and energy, and market research. So far we are working in Portugal, Angola and Cabo Verde. http://www.systemicsphere.com/ Show less



INDEG - IUL, ISCTE Executive Education

• Lisbon Area, Portugal

• Executive Director Sustainability Knowledge Lab

  • Sep 2013 - Jan 2015

  My role was to contribute to the incorporation of sustainability issues in the Executive Education, by promoting executive courses, applied research and trainning. http://indeg.iscte.pt/skl/ My role was to contribute to the incorporation of sustainability issues in the Executive Education, by promoting executive courses, applied research and trainning. http://indeg.iscte.pt/skl/



ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa

• Portugal
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Professora Auxiliar Convidada (Sustainability area)

  • Oct 2010 - Mar 2014

  Teaching at MScBA, the subject of: Ethics, Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Teaching at MScBA, the subject of: Ethics, Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility



GCI

• Portugal
• Public Relations and Communications Services
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Sustainability Advisor

  • Oct 2012 - Mar 2013

  Joined GCI as sustainability advisor. She was responsible for developing the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) consultancy services and to incorporate such concept across the several areas of GCI. Joined GCI as sustainability advisor. She was responsible for developing the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) consultancy services and to incorporate such concept across the several areas of GCI.



INTELI - Think and Do Thank

• Lisbon Area, Portugal

• Business Design Thinking - Main Project Manager

  • Oct 2011 - Oct 2012

  Main Project Manager, in the area of Business Intelligence and Business Design Thinking, reporting directly to the Chairman of the organisation. Main Project Manager, in the area of Business Intelligence and Business Design Thinking, reporting directly to the Chairman of the organisation.



Independent Consultant

• Lisbon Area, Portugal

• Free Lance Consulting

  • May 2011 - Oct 2011

  Freelance research consultant in sustainability, sustainable banking and economic analysis. Customers include: French Development Agency; Christian Business and Entrepreneurs Association (ACEGE), INDEG/ISCTE between others. Freelance research consultant in sustainability, sustainable banking and economic analysis. Customers include: French Development Agency; Christian Business and Entrepreneurs Association (ACEGE), INDEG/ISCTE between others.



Sustentare Lda

• Lisbon Area, Portugal

• Co-Funder

  • Apr 2004 - May 2011

  Co-founder of Sustentare, a micro company specialising in sustainability consulting. Sustentare was founded in 2004 with a strong strategy of penetrating the Portuguese market, based on setting up sound international partnerships, which would project the brand and the added value of the approach taken. Over a period of 8 years, Sofia Santos was one of the managing partners whose responsibilities included both Sustentare’s internal management and strategic vision, and carrying out value added strategic consulting work for various Portuguese companies. Sofia Santos was involved in defining and developing systematically the first work in sustainability for a number of major companies, such as the CGD, Sonae and Sonae MC, Millennium bcp, the Banif Group, PortucelSoporcel, CELPA – the Paper and Pulp Industry Association; CEPI – European Paper and Pulp Industry Association and SmurfitKappa. Over the course of these 8 years, Sustentare carried out sustainability consulting services for a range of Portuguese companies, whose aggregate turnover equalled around 15% of the country’s GDP. In 2009, Sofia Santos began coordinating the “Banking and Environment” project , which is one of the activities undertaken by the UNEP FI and recognised as a pilot project in Europe, She continues to coordinate this initiative. During the 8 years that she worked at Sustentare, she attended various international conferences, not only as a listener, but also as a speaker and/or moderator, succeeding in projecting the Sustentare name outside Portugal to the international community linked to sustainability. Show less



CELPA - Portuguese Pulp and Paper Association

• Lisbon Area, Portugal

• Economist

  • Sep 2001 - May 2006

  Responsible for the statistics department, carrying out economic analyses and developing the first approaches to business sustainability in the sector. In the first few years, she was also responsible for preparing applications for public funds and following up on their execution, including intermediate and final reports. She also took part in planning annual events and actions and preparing the Association’s budget plan. During this period, she led a team to implement procedures relating to the data base and to prepare the Annual Statistical Return for the pulp and paper sector in a more comprehensive and rapid manner. She worked together with the Environmental and Forestry area of CELPA whenever it was necessary to reconcile economic and financial with environmental information and data. She also represented the sector for Portugal at the CEPI – the European Paper and Pulp Industry Confederation in Brussels, on issues relating to statistics, environmental responsibility, sustainability and competitiveness. Show less



INE

• Portugal
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Technician in Statistics

  • May 2000 - Jun 2001

  Senior Technician in Statistics, responsible for developing a new calculation method to meet the requirements of Eurostat. The new methodology developed was based on a need to calculate Gross Fixed Capital Formation in Portugal by NUT II regions and 17 activity branches. The work enabled more knowledge to be gained about national accounting and about the different calculation methods at a regional level, which are increasingly important in European terms. Senior Technician in Statistics, responsible for developing a new calculation method to meet the requirements of Eurostat. The new methodology developed was based on a need to calculate Gross Fixed Capital Formation in Portugal by NUT II regions and 17 activity branches. The work enabled more knowledge to be gained about national accounting and about the different calculation methods at a regional level, which are increasingly important in European terms.



Merrill Lynch, London

• London

• Research Assistant at the Global Strategy Team

  • Sep 1997 - Mar 1999

  Worked in the Research Department as a Research Assistant in the Global Strategy Team. Her responsibilities included: • Preparation of monthly and quarterly publications about the global economy to assist customers in their choice of assets • Responding quickly and qualitatively to financial and economic questions raised by customers • Constantly updating economic and political data from different regions of the world • Managing an economic and financial data base Left Merrill Lynch in order to study for her Master’s degree full time and also to return to Portugal. Show less