We are a Portuguese investment holding company, committed to building a diversified portfolio of businesses capable of creating sustainable and long-term growth cycles. We bring together the best talent to make a positive impact on the world, Making it Better!
We are an investment holding company focused on creating long-term value, supported by ambition and innovation. We aim to add value to our portfolio companies, contributing to sustainable growth.
Our portfolio is made up of companies with a great legacy, companies with accelerated growth prospects and also a start-up investment company.
Step by step, we aim to always do better. Stay informed about our latest news regarding events, partnerships, or other initiatives that lead us on a better path.
Follow all the Semapa Group’s financial and corporate governance information here.
Semapa Meeting 2024 was the stage for everything that the Group represents today: talent, experience, diversity, innovation, and growth. The 450 Group employees were the living proof of this dedication and effort that, every day, lead Semapa to achieve its goals and go further and better. We highlight some moments of this Meeting, just a sample of a day that was very special for Semapa Group.
The year 2023 deserved an evaluation by the CEOs of all the subsidiary companies of the Group: João Paulo Oliveira, from Triangle’s; Hugo Augusto, from Semapa Next; Afonso Lobato Faria, from ETSA; Otmar Hübscher, from Secil; Paulo Gonçalo, from Utis; António Redondo, from The Navigator Company. The achievements of each company were emphasized, while continuously focusing on the future and striving to reach new goals. The acquisitions of Triangle’s by Semapa Group and of the Spanish business group Gomà-Camps by The Navigator Company were some of the investment milestones of the Semapa Group in 2023, demonstrating the commitment to growth and diversification of the Group’s portfolio.
José Fay, Chairman of Semapa’s Board of Directors, highlighted the Group’s ability to “move forward” over the years, even in the face of uncertain and adverse scenarios. This ability to adapt and act in challenging contexts was emphasized, evidencing the company’s skill in dealing with changes and challenges over time. Alluding to the motto of the Meeting, “Momentum”, José Fay recalled that, in physics, the formula of this concept implies energy and movement. The chairman of Semapa underlined that positive energy, enthusiasm, and team spirit are part of the essence of the Group. These characteristics were not only essential to achieve excellent results in 2023, but also to materialize the transformation and the purpose “Making it Better” of Semapa.
Ricardo Pires, CEO of Semapa Group, also shared with the audience what the word “Momentum” means to him: “Tenacity. And tenacity is having strength, knowing how to create and seize opportunities. ‘Momentum’ is having focus. And ‘Momentum’ is having dynamics, a lot of dynamics. This Group has reinvented itself countless times.” Ricardo Pires also took the opportunity to share how 2023 had a special meaning, as it was the year in which he had the opportunity and the privilege to witness, as CEO of the Group, historical milestones such as the 50 years of ETSA, the 70 years of Cacia Factory (part of The Navigator Company), and the 100 years of Maceira-Liz Factory (part of Secil). These milestones, for Ricardo Pires, are a celebration of innovation, the ability to adapt, the criterion, and the rigor that remains in the Group today and that materializes by creating value and having a positive impact on everything it does. For the benefit of all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, the environment, ecosystems, partners, and society.
And this is due, stressed the CEO of Semapa, to the commitment of all employees, without whom the very positive results of the Group in 2022 and 2023 would not have been possible.
Investment and Talent are two pillars that guide the Semapa Group and are based on the principle that there are no good investments without a team prepared for their management. And for that, it is essential to attract and retain talent. Isabel Viegas, Chief People Officer of Semapa, highlighted some talent initiatives carried out in 2023 that demonstrate active commitment to the development and growth of employees. The Talent Lab is one of these initiatives, as well as the Future Proof Leadership program, a training created in partnership with Nova School Business and Economics.
Isabel Viegas underscored that these initiatives harbor two primary goals. The first one is that ‘we aim to support the employees who are integral to the companies within the Semapa universe and who are at the helm of their teams daily. Leadership is a challenging role, yet it is remarkable. We aim to continually stand alongside individuals across our various companies.’’
The second reason, as explained by Isabel Viegas, is to take the purpose “Making it Better” further and show employees that Semapa helps/helped them grow, that it creates opportunities for their development. We want them to feel that they have in Semapa, and in the Talent area, a team that can help them add more to what they already do extraordinarily every day. In this context, the Chief People Officer of Semapa gave the example of the internal mobility platform Grow with Semapa, an idea that arose within the Future Proof Leadership program and was implemented in 2023. This platform allows employees to appley to positions in the various Semapa companies, providing them with different learning and enriching experiences, which will also foster the sharing of talent and promote the growth of the Group.
In 2024, in addition to the existing initiatives, training programs will be created for employees in the field of diversity and inclusion, as well as Artificial Intelligence, a topic increasingly relevant for the updating of companies and their employees.
There’s nothing quite like exploring the vast possibilities of Artificial Intelligence by watching a video produced by the code academy. Curiously, this video had its image and voice generated by AI itself, accurately replicating the original voice of Otmar Hubscher, CEO of Secil. This video described how 2023 was a decisive year for Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), especially the Generative type. The A.I. models are revolutionizing the industrial production landscape, from the quality area to operations management, while raising questions to the management teams of companies about how and when to adopt these technologies.
This was the starting point for a panel that discussed the benefits of Artificial Intelligence in companies. Participating in this debate were Hugo Augusto, CEO of Semapa Next and leader of the group responsible for Artificial Intelligence, Ricardo Carvalho, digital director of Secil, and Abel Aguiar, executive director for Channel and Partners of Microsoft Portugal.
The third part of the Management Meeting was marked by the launch of a new initiative in social responsibility, which was attended by the three daughters of Pedro Queiroz Pereira who are reference shareholders. It was also the chosen moment to announce the winner of the second edition of the Making it Better Awards, which recognize individuals and projects that embody the Making it Better purpose of the Semapa Group, having a positive impact on both the companies that make up the Group and society in general. In the 2024 edition, the distinction was given to a team that mobilized to contribute positively to the country and already has concrete results from their actions: the BRP – Business Roundtable Portugal Association. Semapa was involved in creating this Association even before its establishment, and since 2021, it has been a founding member of the Business Roundtable Portugal. To receive this award, the Semapa team actively collaborating on the Association’s projects took the stage, consisting of António Cunha Reis, legal director of The Navigator Company, Isabel Moisés, executive director of Human Resources at Secil, and José Almeida Fernandes, who is part of the Semapa fiscal team.
The Making it Better Awards also distinguished Carmen Correia, dedicated employee of The Navigator Company for more than three decades and Responsible for Ornamental Plant Production and Services at Herdade de Espirra, a property that belongs to Navigator. Her passion, exemplary delivery, humanity, humility, and verticality led to her recognition through this award being an inspiration for all Group employees.
The commitment to go further, grow and innovate, the team spirit, unity, and perseverance were evident in this Semapa Meeting, which perfectly conveyed the portrait of a large family united by a common goal: Making it Better.