Maria de Lurdes Sousa was born in the municipality of Matosinhos, in Leça da Palmeira, where she spent most of her life and where she still maintains close friendships. She holds a degree in Law and, while working at Caixa Geral de Depósitos as a corporate account manager, completed an MBA at Universidade Católica do Porto. She later pursued an executive leadership course at the prestigious London Business School.

Her entire career at Caixa Geral de Depósitos was developed within the corporate area, focusing on large enterprises. She held senior management roles in credit recovery for several years until, in 2014, she accepted the challenge of leading the Bank’s Representative Office in Germany, based in Berlin—where she currently resides.

Her role in Berlin enabled her to build a solid network of contacts both with German investors interested in Portugal and within the Portuguese community in Germany. This direct engagement with the diaspora gave her a close and current perspective on the growing presence of highly skilled and creative Portuguese professionals who see Europe as their natural space to live and work beyond their country of origin.

Maria de Lurdes Sousa lives in Berlin with her partner, Stefan Villinger. She sees the city as vibrant, culturally rich, and green—a capital that increasingly embodies post-reunification Germany and continues to attract a growing number of young Portuguese, particularly those working in the new digital economy.

Maria Lurdes Sousa has been Portugal’s World Advisor since May 2025.