Since July 2023, Fernando Braz de Oliveira has been a member of the Board of Directors of Grupo ETE in Cabo Verde, serving as Managing Director of Grupo ETE in the country and as a Board Member of CV Interilhas, the concessionaire responsible for the public inter-island maritime passenger and cargo transport service in Cabo Verde.
A Commander in the Portuguese Navy, holding the rank of Captain (Navy) (Ret.), he graduated from the Portuguese Naval Academy with a degree in Naval Military Sciences and has pursued advanced training in Communication and Management. He also holds a postgraduate degree from Universidade Lusíada and an MBA, with advanced training in Strategy, Management, Marketing, and Communication.
Over the course of a career spanning more than three decades in the service of Portugal through the Portuguese Navy, he has held positions of significant responsibility in the fields of leadership, strategy, security, defence, international relations, institutional communication, and crisis management, in highly complex national and multinational environments.
Among his most relevant positions, he served as Military Adviser to the Minister of State for National Defence and Maritime Affairs and as Adviser to the Chief of the Naval Staff. He also held several staff and operational command positions, both ashore and at sea, in Portugal and on international missions and operations, contributing to the development and implementation of public policies in the areas of defence and maritime affairs.
At the international level, he served within NATO and European Union structures, where he held positions as a Staff Officer and Military Adviser to Portugal’s Permanent Representation to these organisations. He represented the Portuguese State on several international committees, including those dealing with Public Diplomacy, Crisis Management, Command and Control, and Budget Management, participating in decision-making processes relevant to the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area.
Prior to joining Grupo ETE, he served as Director of Strategy, Business Development and Communications at Thales Edisoft Portugal, further strengthening his experience in technological innovation, organisational transformation, internationalisation, and business development.
Alongside his executive career, he is active in academic and strategic research in the fields of Strategic Communication, Crisis Management, and the Blue Economy. He is regularly invited to speak at national and international conferences and forums addressing challenges related to security, sustainability, and the development of the blue economy.
He currently leads Grupo ETE’s operations in Cabo Verde, promoting maritime connectivity between the islands, territorial cohesion, and the sustainable economic development of the archipelago. In this context, he has contributed to strengthening the presence of Portuguese businesses in Africa and to fostering economic, institutional, and cultural ties between Portugal, Cabo Verde, and the wider Lusophone world.
His career is distinguished by his ability to combine military experience, strategic vision, international diplomacy, and business management, putting this wealth of knowledge at the service of strengthening the links between Portugal and Portuguese communities around the world. His work has consistently focused on promoting cooperation, innovation, the blue economy, and sustainable development as instruments for bringing together the countries of the Portuguese-speaking world.
In recognition of his services to the Portuguese State, he has received several national and foreign decorations, notably the rank of Commander of the Military Order of Avis.
Fernando Braz de Oliveira is Portugal’s World Advisor since July 2026.