Olga Martins, CEO and Commercial Director of the Douro wine producer Lavradores de Feitoria, was yesterday elected 'Executive of the Year 2013'. The award was given as part of the 'Máxima Mulher de Negócios 2013 Award', an initiative promoted by Máxima magazine and Jornal de Negócios with the aim of rewarding female leadership and management in Portugal.
“It is with surprise, but with great satisfaction, that I receive this award. Being nominated – especially by the jury in question – was, in itself, something I did not expect... Reaching the finalists stage and, subsequently, being elected 'Executive of the Year 2013' was, without a doubt, a new experience and one that I embraced with great affection! This is an award for me – someone who believes in leadership combined with the capacity for work, determination, daily struggles and a lot of passion for what one does –, but it is also the award for a team with whom I work every day; for the family that supports me unconditionally; for friends (who I know voted for me to get here); for the Douro; and for the wine sector.” , says Olga Martins.
This is the 14th year of the 'Maximum Business Woman Award', the most recent being the 'Executive of the Year' category, which is aimed at top female directors and executives, as well as entrepreneurs who are on their way to the top, constituting the next generation of leaders.
The selection of the two winners – Executive of the Year and Businesswoman of the Year – is the responsibility of a jury comprising Camilo Lourenço (economic affairs commentator), Helena Garrido (director of Jornal de Negócios), Maria Cândida Rocha e Silva (chairman of the Board of Directors of Banco Carregosa), Maria João Vieira Pinto (editorial director of Executive Digest and Marketeer), Pedro Santos Guerreiro (executive director of Expresso and former director of Jornal de Negócios), Helena Garrido (current director of Jornal de Negócios) and Sandra Correia (executive president of Nova Cortiça and winner of the 'Businesswoman of the Year 2012' award) and chaired by Sofia Lucas (director of Máxima).
OLGA MARTINS PROFILE | SUPPLEMENT 'MAXIMUM BUSINESSWOMAN'
She is a woman in a world that is still predominantly male. Between vineyards and wineries, she built a successful career that led her to the position of CEO of Lavradores de Feitoria,
one of the ten largest exporters of Douro wine. As a child, however, her dreams were different: she wanted to be a ballerina, a criminal lawyer ( “I thought I had good argumentation skills and that I could explore them in an area that I found interesting” ) and, later, a high-level volleyball player, a passion that she still has today: “I love sports.”
In wine, she found a career and love, with winemaker Jorge Moreira, her husband and father of her daughter, Margarida. Reconciling the two sides of her life can “It can be difficult in practical terms, but I think I’m succeeding at it. For me, the most important thing is perhaps to dedicate myself 100% to what I’m doing. When I travel, I’m in the office or in meetings, I do my best and I commit myself completely to doing things well. When I return home, I’m a full-time mother and wife. For me, family is the pillar of my life and I can only be well at work if my personal life is well. But, on the other hand, if I feel like I’m failing at work, I don’t feel well and that affects my family life. So the secret is to really give your best at all times and to be very focused on what you’re doing.”
She studied Chemical Engineering but, halfway through, discovered her interest in oenology. She changed course and did an internship at Quinta do Noval, in Sabrosa. After completing her degree, she went to Bordeaux as an intern in 2000, where she worked at Chateaux Cantenan Brown and Pichon Longueville, part of the AXA group. Back in Portugal, she worked at Clubvintage.com, as head of wine selection, until, in 2001, she was invited to join Lavradores de Feitoria. The proposal was for her to start a Sales Department: “Although I had no interest in the commercial area, I accepted, for the challenge and the possibility of being close to production.” The decision proved to be the right one: in 2003, she joined the Board of Directors of Lavradores de Feitoria and, in 2006, she became CEO of the company, a role she continues to combine with her position as Commercial Director.
Managing to make Lavradores de Feitoria one of the largest exporters of Douro wine is what he considers to be his greatest professional success. “Considering that the wine business is a very time-consuming business, where results take time to appear and that this company is unique in its format (its shareholders are farmers, small producers from the Douro), it was, in fact, remarkable” , she concludes. But it is not only the great successes that excite her: “I really enjoy the diversity of what I do. One day I might be in a vineyard or tasting wines with the winemaking team and the next day I might be closing a big deal in New York. Or dining in one of the best restaurants in the world and presenting my wines... And I also really enjoy the adrenaline of negotiation. Maybe that’s my more competitive side coming out.”
