World Portuguese Network establishes Asia and Oceania Regional Hub

The World Portuguese Network, a non-profit organization founded in 2012 under the patronage of the President of the Portuguese Republic, has recently established an Asia and Oceania Regional Hub for the first time.

The World Portuguese Network, which is represented through the Portuguese Diaspora Council, aims to strengthen relations between Portugal and its diaspora, particularly Portuguese individuals and those of Portuguese descent residing abroad.

“Through their merit and influence, the Council seeks to have its members contribute to the universal affirmation of Portuguese values and culture,” the Council said. The Council has the Portuguese president as its honorary president and the Minister of Foreign Affairs as its honorary vice-president.

According to the organization’s information, the primary intervention tool of the World Portuguese Network involves a diverse group of influential Portuguese individuals in the fields of economy, science, culture and citizenship. Currently, this network is said to comprise 182 advisors spread across 35 countries on all five continents.

Regarding the creation of the new regional hub, the president of the board of the World Portuguese Network said, “It is with great enthusiasm that I celebrate the formation of the Regional Hub for Asia and Oceania of the Portuguese Diaspora. This initiative will not only strengthen our economic, cultural, scientific, and institutional ties but will also solidify the presence and influence of the Portuguese community in these fast-growing and dynamic regions. I am certain that the future activities developed by this regional hub will allow the global presence of the Portuguese Diaspora Council to be even more robust and collaborative. Congratulations to everyone involved in this significant step towards an increasingly global Portuguese Diaspora.”

Among the most notable members of this group are Mumbai-based Rahool Pai Panandiker, Senior Partner and General Manager at the Boston Consulting Group, with extensive experience in government regulation and policies, particularly in the energy sector across various countries such as Spain, Brazil, Portugal, India, Mozambique and the United States.

Also part of this group is Luís Gandara da Silva, Managing Director of Sogrape Asia Pacific, who is currently based in Hong Kong.

Gandara da Silva’s main focus is on the Greater China region. In addition to his work in the wine and spirits sector, he was also vice president of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce in New York for four years.

Paulo Ramos and Pedro Rodeia are two of the members based in Japan. Ramos is president of the board of directors of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan.

He has a professional background in Biotechnology and Enology, having founded the company 1756 – The Portuguese Wine Company, which specializes in exporting wines to Asia.

Rodeia, a Senior Partner and Chairman of McKinsey & Company Japan, is engaged in its banking practice, having served as a member of McKinsey’s Global Board of Directors from 2017 to 2023 and as Chairman of the Technology, Knowledge and Capabilities Committee of the Board. He has over 30 years of banking experience in 28 countries, including China, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, USA, Brazil, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Poland and several countries in Africa.

Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, and Macau are also represented among the advisors of the Council, which, according to the official website, has only one member currently in Macau, Carlos Cid Álvares, executive vice-president and CEO of Banco Nacional Ultramarino, S.A. (BNU).