Rita de Sousa Coutinho is the founder and CEO of Ocean Participações, with several investments in companies, namely Benjamin, where she spent two years as CEO (2015-2016), which became the largest bakery chain in Brazil. With more than 25 years’ experience in retail and consumer goods in various geographies in Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, he has been working since 2017 with Boards of Directors and Executive Committees of companies in areas such as business reinvention, digitalisation and international expansion.

She has been CEO of several businesses in major global retailers, such as Walmart/Sam’s Club in China, Casino/Grupo Pão de Açúcar in Brazil. Rita began her career at the Jerónimo Martins Group in 1997, where she held various executive positions, including Marketing and Commercial Director of Pingo Doce and Director of New Businesses.

She has a degree in Management and Business Administration from Universidade Católica Portuguesa, an MBA from INSEAD, and attended the Advanced Management Programme (AMP182) and Women on Boards: Succeeding as a Corporate Director at Harvard Business School, being an Alumni of both institutions.

She has been a member of the Portuguese Diaspora Council since May 2018.