The chairman of the BIAL Foundation, Luís Portela, was distinguished by Exame magazine with the Excellence in Leadership Award for his contribution to the Portuguese economy, particularly for his work as leader of BIAL for more than 40 years.
The award ceremony took place on January 17 in Lisbon, within the scope of the 33rd Exame conference, which aims to distinguish the 500 Biggest & Best Portuguese Companies.
Luís Portela received the award from Luís Delgado, leader of the TrustinNews group. The acceptance speech by the chairman of the BIAL Foundation was followed by a chat on stage with Mafalda Anjos, director of Portuguese magazine Visão, on the theme “What makes a leader”.
Luís Portela was born in 1951 in Porto, where he graduated in Medicine. He worked clinically at the Hospital de São João for three years and was a professor at the University of Porto for six years. He left his medical and university career early to dedicate himself to managing his family's company, BIAL. He started business at the age of 21 and at 27 became the company's executive chairman (1979-2011), later becoming non-executive chairman (2011-2021). Under his presidency, BIAL became the first international innovative pharmaceutical company of Portuguese origin, currently operating in around 60 countries.
In 1994, together with BIAL and the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities, he created the BIAL Foundation, with the mission to foster the scientific study of the human being from both the physical and spiritual perspectives. A person with remarkable contributions in the civil society, Luís Portela was distinguished numerous times, highlighting the three decorations by the Portuguese State as Commander of the Order of Merit, the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, the Grand Cross of Order of Public Instruction, and the four Honorary Doctorates, by the Universities of Cádiz, Porto, Coimbra and Lisbon. He has published ten books, including the best sellers “Ser Espiritual” and “Da Ciência ao Amor”.
In 2021, he withdrew from professional life to dedicate himself to the BIAL Foundation, which he chairs, to reading, writing and his family.
Each year Exame and Trust in News distinguish a Portuguese personality who has stood out in the economic area, particularly for his/her business leadership. Luís Portela is the winner of the 2022 edition of this award, which has 12 editions and has already distinguished personalities such as Belmiro de Azevedo, Alexandre Soares dos Santos, António Mota, Rui Nabeiro, among others.
An interview on the life of Luís Portela, by the journalist Cesaltina Pinto, was also published as part of a special edition of Exame magazine.
Read the news piece on Exame magazine (Portuguese version only) here.
Watch the award ceremony here.
Photo credits: Marco Borga/Exame
