2021 to date Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain – PhD Candidate, Industrial Engineering. Thesis: Experiential learning in management education as a tool for fostering sustainability.
2017 – 2019 University of Oxford, United Kingdom (UK) – MSc in Sustainable Urban Development. Thesis: Experiential Learning for Sustainable Urban Development.
2012 LEAD International, undertaken with the European Union in Belgium, Canada and the UK – Leadership for Sustainability (full scholarship).
2008 Telefónica Corporate University, Spain – Management Skills for High Potential Managers (In Company).
2007 ESADE, Spain- Specialisation in Social Projects Management (In Company / Telefónica).
2003 ESADE – Corporate Management Programme for High Potential Managers (In Company / Telefónica).
1992 – 1997. Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil – BA in Business Administration.
Main Work Experience
2015 to date: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain – Visiting Professor and programme designer on various topics within the sustainability and leadership fields. Design and deliver training punctually (Postgraduate and Degree levels).
· Programmes: Engineering (Degree), MSc in Strategies and Technologies for Development: Cooperation in a Changing World (Postgraduate).
· Course involvement (FF: face-to-face; OL: online): Uniting Separated Worlds: Basic Services for World Deprived Areas (FF), The Value of Sustainability to Business and Society (FF).
2015 to date: Escuela de Organización Industrial Business School, Spain – Programme designer, Lecturer and Tutor on various topics within the sustainability field (Postgraduate levels) with an average score of 4.72 out of 5.
· Programmes (Postgraduate): IMSD – International Master in Sustainable Development, Master of Business Administration (in-company MBA for Acciona), Executive Master in Environmental Management (in partnership with the Universidad del Externado de Colombia), Executive Master on Sustainable Development and Corporate SocialResponsibility, Master in Engineering and Environmental Management.
· Course involvement: Leadership for Sustainability (FF and OL), Introduction to Sustainable Development (FF and OL), Development Perspectives (FF), Multi-stakeholder Alliances for Sustainability (FF and OL), Sustainable Urban Development (FF and OL), Community Engagement (FF and OL), Community Development (FF and OL), People-Centred Solutions (FF and OL), Civil Society and Sustainability (OL).
2019 to date: Universidad Camilo José Cela, Spain – Support to bring sustainable development across all disciplines and university, for instance training the trainers and collaborating in the Colmena programme. Regular collaborations as Lecturer and Tutor on various topics within the sustainability and leadership fields (Degree levels).
2021 to date: Barna Management School, Dominican Republic – Lecturer (Top Level Management).
· Programme: Top Management in Sustainability.
· Course involvement (OL): Leading from the Future, Urban Environment and Circular Economy, Community Engagement.
2009 to date: Strategic Sustainability Advisor, International – My work is structured under two main frameworks:
1) From a reactive framework perspective, I design, manage and implement strategy, projects, alliances, training, quality assurance, evaluation, and narratives for my clients in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors across all regions. Major milestones include:
➔ Project for Santander Bank, Europe and Latin America (from 2011 to date): Support young entrepreneurs to thrive: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability education in Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and Spain in collaboration with more than 50 universities, and public and private organisations. Scope: +60 training centres, +1,500 participants, +300 facilitators, +70 trips to Silicon Valley, and +€150,000 investment in beneficiaries’ projects.
➔ Project for Mapfre, poor communities in Brazil (2014-2017): Access to University and income generation through professional and entrepreneurship education, training and mentoring. Scope: +2,500 beneficiaries received training in Amazonas and Bahia (Brazil). 228 people ended up in stable and long term employment, +200 entrepreneurs launched new businesses, +200 people received an official diploma and 17 students gained access to university.
➔ Projects for the Government of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2011-2016):
· A 10-million-dollar education project to equip more than 2,000 young grassroots entrepreneurs & leaders with skills and resources to lead community-based interventions aimed at tackling Climate Change and Social Issues. 80% ended up in employment or undertook their sustainability projects by collaborating for instance with Nike, Rede Globo and the British Council. Favela dwellers themselves selected this project to be incorporated into a further project I co-designed with the government to maximise the Olympic Games legacy.
· Legalisation of +200,000 illegal electricity connections in favelas (informal settlements) generating 1 billion BRL in income (an 82% increase in profitability in the first year) and tackling Climate Change: provision of safe and affordable electricity in the favelas funded by recycling over 3,000 tonnes of solid waste and 12 tonnes of vegetable oil.
➔ Projects for LEAD International, from United Kingdom to the world (2011-2016): Bi-directional experiential training programmes to empower leadership for sustainability strategically. On the one hand, through the programmes, we empowered grassroots entrepreneurs & leaders and sustainability practitioners. On the other hand, we prepare business employees to work and generate genuine shared value with low-income communities through on-the-ground experiences. I established alliances with partners such as the Government of Rio de Janeiro, Banco Santander, Light, NGO Observatório das Favelas and Fallet Embalando Crianças. We implemented the programme in the following favelas (townships): Fallet, Complexo do Alemão, Morro dos Prazeres, Chapéu Mangueira & Babilonia, among others. For instance, a sewing cooperative was launched.
➔ Global Advisory and Public Relations in Europe for CUFA (the leading Brazilian NGO on community empowerment) (2009-2014):
Design and implementation of strategies to position the brand, establish partnerships globally, attract investments, develop sustainability projects based on social structural change through education, entrepreneurship and employability, and ultimately empower young grassroots leaders. Capture of +€100,000 of funding and establishment of strategic alliances to tackle Climate Change and Social Issues with international organisations such as Llorente & Cuenca.
2) From a preventive framework perspective, I collaborate as an educator and sustainability programme designer and manager with academic institutions. Major milestones include:
➔ University of Oxford, UK (2018-2019): Lectures on Experiential Learning for Sustainability, and Community Development. Co-design and leadership of ‘Squaring the Circle: global and local approaches to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’. Workshop in liaison with United Nations – one of only seven proposals from across the world accepted at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainability (HLPF) held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York between 9-18 July 2018. The workshop discussed the different ways in which businesses, governments and NGOs can deliver education for sustainable development.
➔ University of California, Berkeley (2016-2017): Lectures on Community Engagement and Leadership for Sustainability. Design and facilitation of Leadership for Sustainability training to grassroots entrepreneurs & leaders in Oakland, California.
➔ University of South Africa (2018): Seminar ‘Sustainability, Climate Change and Healthcare’. Keynote speeches on Leadership for Sustainability, Experiential Learning for Sustainability, and Community Development. Design and facilitation of Leadership for Sustainability training to Atteridgeville township entrepreneurs & leaders in Pretoria aiming to liberate, democratise and mobilise knowledge out of the university.
➔ Universidad Francisco de Victoria, Spain (2014): Design and implementation of ‘Impact Centre’ project – a Lab/Hub to foster entrepreneurship by co-creating sustainability projects.
➔ An example of a keynote speech I am regularly invited to give. Great Minds: “Human and Social Leadership”. 2020 The Overview Effect (an Indra Company), Spain: Head of Sustainable Development and Social Mission. Design and deliver strategy and sustainability projects, including the establishment of alliances and the development of commercial activities.
2006-2008: Universidad Francisco de Vitória, Spain – Professor of Business Optimization Project Management. Undergraduate level: Business Administration.
1999-2009: Telefónica Group. 1999-2001 Telefónica, Brazil & Latin America. 2001-2009 Telefónica S.A., Spain: -2001 – 2009 Telefónica S.A. & O2: Global Project Manager on Sustainability, Corporate Reputation and Identity.
· Sustainability projects – Covering overall management, design, planning, implementation, development and stakeholder engagement within Telefónica O2 Group’s 200 subsidiaries in more than 25 countries.
· Definition, systematisation and standardisation of a sustainability code of conduct and corporate culture for all Telefónica’s subsidiaries and more than 26,000 suppliers. Scope: Over 200 subsidiaries from more than 20 business sectors in more than 25 countries. I successfully trained and managed a team of 63 sustainability professionals. Major milestones include:
➔ Design and implementation of the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain’ sustainability project. Its main aim was to educate more than 26,000 local providers for worldwide sustainability under a private-public framework that encompassed funds from the European Union and the German Technical Cooperation Agency, and the support of the International Labour Organisation. It was recognised as a world best practice by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Consequently, Telefónica’s stocks rose from around 16 to 19 USD on the NYC and Madrid stock exchanges.
➔ Conceptualisation, implementation and coordination with key stakeholders in Telefónica’s Head Office and all its subsidiaries setting up ‘Sustainability Evaluation Offices (SEOs)’ to design, implement, roll out and lead Telefónica Group’s sustainability management model for regional, national and global projects.
➔ Co-lead of a sense-making process for organisational behaviour and corporate purpose in order to align subsidiaries in the transformation process towards sustainability.
