Jeanne Pais (BBA 19), President of ESSEC Alumni’s Portugal Chapter, tells us about the alumni community in her country – and the services her team offers to them.

ESSEC Alumni: How many alumni are there in Portugal? 

Jeanne Pais: We are 67 on our ESSEC Alumni online group and 112 on our LinkedIn group – however this one includes ESSEC students who only do an exchange semester in a local university. The community actually includes more natives than expats. Most live in Lisbon. 

EA: What jobs do our alumni do in Portugal? 

J. Pais: We have a lot of consultants, entrepreneurs, marketing directors, general managers, and few CEOs. Many work in real estate, hospitality and tourism. A great number works remotely for foreign companies and clients, which allows them to go back home quite frequently.

EA: What opportunities are there in Portugal for our alumni? 

J. Pais: Portugal was not that attractive until a few years ago. As a matter of fact, there is still a lot to be done here, many sectors need innovation and investment to grow. However the country is booming. It is a member of the European Union, so it has a strong currency, a pool of highly qualified talents, and a boiling entrepreneurial scene. We see a lot of foreigners – Americans, Germans, and French mainly – coming now for the surging business opportunities, especially in the tech sector and creative and cultural industries. Lisbon is called the “European twin” of San Francisco for a reason. This is a place where to meet new people, start a new chapter, open new doors, and feel renewed.

EA : What is the current economics situation currently in Portugal?

J. Pais: The global economic climate is not that good actually. Salaries fail to match the cost of life, as inflation has been striking hard. And with the growing number of foreigners investing in Portugal, property prices are also reaching new highs. Renting or buying is getting quite complicated and expensive, especially in the very coveted Lisbon. However foreigners benefit from financial incentives and advantages to come and invest in the country. 

EA: What makes it interesting to live in Portugal as a foreigner?

J. Pais: Portugal is a safe, peaceful, sunny country, remaining affordable even though prices are rising, and offering great quality of life and work-life balance. One feels home rapidly here. Locals play an important role in that I believe, as they are very open and friendly to foreigners.  Most of Portuguese speak a perfect English, or at least try to, which is much appreciated by the international community. 

EA: What advice do you have for our alumni moving in Portugal?

J. Pais: First and foremost, join our amazing chapter to meet the most incredible, open-minded, cool, and creative people! On a more serious note, be patient when it comes to administration and public services. They can be quite tricky to understand and hard to cope with. One needs a lot of patience, especially when launching a company. Language can also be a barrier for expats to find a job in a Portuguese company. However, speaking French is an asset in some industries with strong ties with France, such as banking and fashion.
EA: What are the offer and services of ESSEC Alumni’s Portugal Chapter? 

J. Pais: We are here to help you – to share a job offer, to reach out to a Portuguese university, to settle in. And we organize events to gather the local community. In the weeks to come we’ll first offer a joint event with alumni from other universities and a Lisbon-based community of entrepreneurs from San Francisco, then a conference on the latest trends in finance. 

EA: Do you need more volunteers to get involved in the chapter? 

J. Pais: We do need volunteers to help organizing our events, growing our database, and interacting more with our members. Feel free to reach out!

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), Content Manager at ESSEC Alumni 

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