Carla Santos holds a degree in Public Relations from Universidade Fernando Pessoa in Porto, Portugal, with additional training from the Instituto Superior de Informação e Administração. She completed her studies in December 1998 and immediately began her professional career as a Public Relations Officer at the Aveiro City Council, focusing on culture and youth. During this period, she coordinated European projects and twinning initiatives, such as the one linking Aveiro to the city of Cholargos in Athens, as well as youth exchange programs between Portugal and Greece.

Since 1998, she has lived in Greece, where she has built a solid career in both the public and private sectors. For over 15 years, she served as General Director of a municipal company for culture, sports, and environment in the Municipality of Pallini. In that role, she was responsible for strategic planning, financial management, annual action plans, event organization, budget preparation, oversight of public contracts, and overall coordination of the entity’s activities.

She has also worked as a consultant for various organizations and companies, including Marathonios Anaptyxiaki, the Municipality of Aspropyrgos, and the Northern Athens Municipalities Consortium (ΣΒΑΑ), among others. Her work focused on strategic consulting, organizational development, evaluation of public policies, institutional communication, and participation in EU-funded projects such as LIFE, EQUAL, and EVS.

Carla has also led awareness campaigns, developed policy evaluation methodologies, and created tools to support local employability. She has worked in diverse areas including youth, environment, social inclusion, culture, and local governance.

She is currently Director of the Municipal Revenue Management Department at PublicSoft IKE, a consultancy specialized in technical support to Greek municipalities. In this role, she oversees the reorganization of municipal revenue services, audit follow-up, staff training, and the implementation of best practices in local administration, with a focus on municipal taxation.

With over 25 years of experience, Carla possesses a deep understanding of both Portuguese and Greek administrative, cultural, and social contexts. Her professional journey combines technical expertise with a strong human and intercultural dimension, reflecting her commitment to public service, ethics, and the empowerment of local communities and the Portuguese diaspora.

Carla Santos has been aPortugal’s World Advisor since may 2025.