The host of the IPBN's Sustainability Conference, Chitra Stern, co-owner of Martinhal Resorts and the United Lisbon International School, shared insights on how sustainable business practices have been embedded into their developments in Portugal. She said, “My husband, Roman, and I came to Portugal 26 years ago for both business opportunities and lifestyle,” Stern recalled. “Building sustainability into our ventures has been a long-term priority.”

Stern also reflected on the challenges and achievements of the Martinhal Sagres Beach Resort, which opened in 2010, highlighting efforts such as preserving natural landscapes, installing solar panels in stages, capturing and recycling rainwater, and bringing positive investment to under-developed areas. Notable, Chitra and Roman Stern were given a special award from the Mayor of Vila do Bispo, Presidente Rute Silva, and the Presidente of the local municipal assembly, Presidente Luciano Rafael for the positive socio-economic impact that the Martinhal Sagres has made on the area since its opening 15 years ago.

Joining us today is Raquel Horta, the Co-Founder of Partnium Services, a company dedicated to helping businesses scale efficiently through tailored, on-demand services. With over 25 years of experience in operations, strategy, project and program management, and business transformation, Raquel Horta is no stranger to working seamlessly with many different organizations. She has seen firsthand the challenges that businesses face - bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and resource gaps - and she's passionate about providing practical solutions that drive real impact. And that’s why she co-founded Partnium Services: to bridge these gaps while helping businesses accelerate growth without unnecessary overhead. Let's see what we can learn!

Joining this podcast is Video Production Specialist José Nunes of IPBN executive media partner RXL Studio who will be present at the upcoming 6th Annual Sustainability Conference in Lisbon to make sure out AV is top notch. RXL has covered several IPBN conferences thus far and, on our side, we can say that they excel at what they do. From interviews to images, to drone footage, we have been more than pleased at the result so we wanted to give José the opportunity to talk a little more about the production industry, AI editing tools, customer preferences, and more.

Tony Redondo takes a look at what client issues regarding the integrated subjects of currency exchanges and international payments he has seen over his career, and what he did to ensure Cosmos can help solve these pain points.

Tony Redondo is a seasoned professional with over 39 years of experience in the financial services industry and a qualified Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. Having held senior management roles across various banks and brokerages, he founded Cosmos Currency Exchange in 2020. Cosmos offers a unique service for clients needing to make or receive currency payments in over 35 currencies across more than 50 countries worldwide.

Unlike the typical transactional, self-service models prevalent in the finance industry, Cosmos emphasizes a bespoke, proactive, relationship-based approach, treating each client as a unique individual. The company’s growth is driven entirely by referrals, which Tony believes speaks volumes about the quality of service provided. Cosmos has earned eight industry awards to date, including the prestigious 'Best Pro-Active Currency Exchange Service 2024' from the Global Business Awards.

The last Masterclass of the year looks ahead to 2025! We are inviting all our members from all the IPBN's active regions to listen to a member/expert from Porto, Lisbon, Algarve, and Ireland to listen in on the talk about what business opportunities they see in their respective regions for 2025.

The guest speakers have all been chosen for their knowledge of local businesses and SMEs, which should be very helpful in preparing your objectives and strategy for 2025. These four guest speakers are key business players and leaders who bring business to their regions and therefore have a good idea of what to expect in 2025.

Here are their profiles:

Elisa Tarzia is VP for Growth from BRIDGE IN. Elisa will join us to talk about the business opportunities in the Lisbon region. BRIDGE IN helps tech companies explore new markets by providing professional soft landing and business relocation services in Portugal.

Carlos Justino is an AI Adoption & Strategic Growth Advisor, Driving Innovation & Efficiency for Businesses and is based at the Algarve Tech Hub in Faro at the UAlg. Carlos will talk about the business opportunities in the Algarve region. The Algarve Tech Hub is a Tech Ecosystem that aims to promote and grow the Algarve region as a global technological hub.

Professor Ricardo Morais is Assistant Professor of Management at IPBN academic partner Católica Porto Business School and Director of Idea Puzzle. Ricardo will talk about the Porto and North region of Portugal. Católica Porto Business School is among the best business schools in the world, being a part of a very restricted group of 1% of business schools with EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB accreditation distinctions.

Nial Borthistle is Business Development & Partnerships Manager at Glandore and is based in Dublin. Nial will talk about the business opportunities in Ireland. Glandore offers innovative, flexible workspace with prestigious addresses in the heart of the business and tech hubs of Dublin, Belfast and Cork.

What does business culture look like after the pandemic? Every organization should define their company culture, but what does that look like in this new workplace reality? Sharon Dehmel, company culture coach, and Brett Putter, author and Founder/CEO of CultureGene discuss new business landscapes, working remotely, what has transpired as companies look at hybrid solutions, and how leaders should be handling their teams.

Have a listen to the IPBB's first panel discussion from the Tourism Conference in Porto, 2024. This panel dove into the opportunities and challenges related to exploring and developing tourism in Northern Portugal's and Ireland's coastal and interior regions with special guests Francisco Calheiros and Miriam Kennedy, and moderated by John Paul Prior.

Francisco de Calheiros is The President of Associação dos Amigos do Caminho Português de Santiago, an association for the promotion and protection of the Portuguese Way to Santiago de Compostela, that was founded in 1998. He is also head of the ancient Calheiros Family and is responsible for the preservation of their historical House – the Manor Paço de Calheiros. Over the past thirty years, he has devoted himself to the exhaustive work of rehabilitating the old property to protect the family’s patrimonial and intangible heritage, by recovering and adjusting the Manor to Tourism and reinstating the most traditional agricultural productions associated with it.

Joining in on the panel was Miriam Kennedy, Head of Wild Atlantic Way at Fáilte Ireland, Ireland’s National Tourism Development Authority. Stepping into this role in 2018, Miriam brought over 15 years of experience in international business tourism and event management across both public and private sectors. Based in Galway, she leads the strategic development of the Wild Atlantic Way, collaborating closely with industry partners, stakeholders, and local communities to build destinations that are well-connected, sustainable, and resilient.

John Paul Prior has been making waves at the IPBN ever since he decided to Manage Musicmaker Dublin remotely from Porto, Portugal. He is the co-founder and strategy director of the Dublin-based vertical farming Agri-tech startup called Farmony, a passionate presenter and speaker, and esteemed Chair of the IPBN Porto.

Rita Marques is Consultant, Invited Faculty Member and Program Director at the Porto Business School, Champion of the Innovation Tourism Hub and Former Secretary of State for Tourism. She sat down with IPBN board member Rachael Milne to discuss her work in attracting and retaining talent in tourism, her goals for the future of the sector, and what Porto is doing to up its game.

The Ireland Portugal Business Network (IPBN) held the 3rd edition of its annual Tourism conference Thursday November 14 from 9h to 13h at WOW ART GALLERY, located at the main square of the culture complex. Beginning with words of welcome were Geoffrey Graham, Chair of the IPBN Board and Senior Partner at EDGE International Lawyers, followed by an opening statement by Adrian Bridge, CEO at The Fladgate Partnership and owner of the WoW, and concluding with words from Luís Pedro Martins, President of Porto and North of Portugal Tourism Board on the basic strategy of promotion of the region.

In this episode, Ellis Dixon sits down with certified brand architects Meg Kypena and Barbara Monahan to drive awareness among small business owners about the UnBox Brand Workshop Series. One is a former story brand guide based in North Carolina, and the other has a background in graphic design background and a level 9 qualification in designing for sustainability and is based in Dublin.

In this conversation, Barbara and Meg will share the journey that inspired UnBox and their mission to offer a thoughtful, strategic approach that helps small business owners discover their brand's unique essence and confidently share their story with the world.

Check out the brochure here!

So that the team can curate the group that will be the most supportive for all, they are accepting applications here - the deadline is November 11.