> Conference Programme
OCTOBER 29, 2025
09:30 - Opening Session
09:45 - Keynote Session | Finding the Sweet Spot | Donald Roy Lessard
Sustainability and profitability are commonly cast as competing priorities. Many executives implicitly assume that advancing environmental goals will come at a high financial cost. This mindset breeds hesitation: sustainability is perceived less as a strategic business opportunity and more as a costly moral obligation. However, this framing is both reductive and misleading. There is a powerful and often under-explored intersection between sustainability and profitability, environmental stewardship, and social benefits — a strategic "sweet spot" where doing good and doing well reinforce each other. Of course, this sweet spot also depends on public policies that favor sustainable solutions, but these policies will be more effective when combined with a strategic business approach.
In this session, we show how a focus on the sweet spot can unlock new solutions, increase employee motivation, and move the frontier of “best practice” much more quickly than an approach that relies solely on ESG compliance. We will also demonstrate the difference between viewing the core tradeoff as “abatement vs cost” in the case of decarbonization to “total business impact vs abatement”, and we will provide concrete examples of the what and how of doing this.
10:45 - Coffee break
11:15 - Oral Presentations | Paralel sessions | Prize: Insure
Carvalho Guerra Auditorium
Chair: João Pinto
- Maria Estarreja – “Technology and Retail: Customer Perceptions and Future Expectations in Portugal”
- Luisa Magalhães – “Promoting Ecoliteracy in Teacher Education: Integrating AI and Children’s Literature in Higher Education”
- Ana Estelita and Raquel Alves – “Finding Oases in Deserts: Sustainability and Regeneration as Tangible Paths Forward and Strategies to Communicate It”
- Azhar Hussain – “Device Distributed Blockchain (2DB): Cryptographic Journey Fingerprinting for Supply Chain Trust and Insurance Innovation”
- Rodrigo Cestau Oyhantçabal – “Science Based Targets initiative and Firm Greenhouse-Gas Emissions: Evidence from Dynamic Panel Estimates”
EC105 Room
Chair: Manuela Pintado
- Helena Araújo-Rodrigues – “Mycoproteins as sustainable protein sources for tailoring nutrient-rich food ingredients: Insights into the ProxIMed project”
- Ana Martins Vilas-Boas – “BioUpCycle: Circular Innovation for the Bioeconomy through the Upcycling of Agro-Residues”
12:45 - Lunch
14:15 - Oral Presentations | Paralel sessions | Prize: Insure
Carvalho Guerra Auditorium
Chair: Conceição Silva
- Ana Filipa Moreno – “Communicating Sustainability in the Digital Age: Applying AI-Based Analysis to the Be@t Project Social Media”
- Susana Costa e Silva – “Repair as a Circular Strategy: How Consumers Weigh Value in Fashion”
- Cristina Soares – “Plain Language, the bridge to sustainability”
- Filipe Duarte Mateus Ferreira - “WeFlow CRM: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Automation for Sustainable SME Ecosystems”
EC105 Room
Chair: António Vasconcelos
- Sílvia de Carvalho Homem – “Algorithmic Justice and Social Sustainability: The Challenge of Artificial Intelligence in the Use of Genetic and Biometric Data”
- Wayne Visser – “Regenerative Economy: Linking Theory and Practice”
- Pedro Rodrigues Ribeiro – “How do you buy without constraints? A source localized, fine-grained functional connectivity look into the NeuMa dataset.”
- Bárbara Leão de Carvalho – “Regenerative Marketing”
- Miguel Veríssimo – “A House for the Body”
15:45 - Coffee break
16:15 - Round Table | From Knowledge to Action: Linking Science, Policy, and Innovation
As the world looks ahead to COP30, businesses find themselves at a pivotal crossroads where science, policy, and innovation converge. This session will explore the evolving COP30 agenda and examine how turning climate research into practical regulatory frameworks can unlock bold business solutions for adaptation, resilience, and sustainable growth.
Panelists will dive into ways to close the gap between data and decision-making, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and accelerate the deployment of innovative models that help organizations respond effectively to climate risks while shaping a more sustainable future.
Moderation: Luis Rochartre
Speakers: Isabel Horta (DSPA) | Ivone Rocha (Telles Advogados) | Luís Silva (PortoTech Hub) | Nuno Oliveira (NBI) | Pedro Cruz (KPMG) | Ricardo Voltolini (CEO of Ideia Sustentável)
OCTOBER 30, 2025
09:30 - Workshop I
Integrated Management in a Radically Changing / Fragmented / Upside Down World | Donald Roy Lessard
In an era marked by rapid technological advances, geopolitical fragmentation, and growing demands for sustainability, traditional business models are under unprecedented pressure. This workshop introduces the concept of integrative strategy as a comprehensive framework for navigating and thriving amidst these transformative forces.
Participants will explore how the dynamic business models that form the core of integrative strategy serve as a guiding vision for organizations and a practical tool for aligning individual roles with overall value creation. By examining the interplay between digital platforms, artificial intelligence, geopolitical shifts, and changing sustainability imperatives, attendees will gain insight into the design of strategic business models that transcend organizational boundaries.
This workshop is especially suited for technology leaders and subject matter experts who aim to proactively shape strategic directions rather than simply adapt to them. Through a combination of theoretical frameworks and real-world applications, participants will be equipped to lead their organizations with agility and foresight in a complex global landscape.
11:00 - Coffee break
11:30 - Workshop II
Designing A Resilient Business Strategy | Martin Rich
- Explore the steps required to develop a resilient business strategy in the face of today’s environmental, social and technological poly-crisis;
- Learn from case studies of businesses that have utilised the Future-Fit Business Benchmark methodology to help on their resilience journey;
- Participate in a fun interactive activity to bring the lessons of this workshop to life.
Free time
14:30 - INSURE.hub Welcome
14:35 - The Use Cases of Regenerative Companies/projects | Prize: Insure
Moderation: João Pinto
Águas do Norte: Susana Carvalho
Fundação Lello: Rita Marques
Re.Store: Silvia Correia
15:35 - The Use Cases of Regenerative Companies/projects | Prize: Insure
Moderation: Manuela Pintado
Lipor: Telmo Machado
SonaeMC: Daniela Correia
SuperbockGroup: Tiago Brandão
16:25 - Coffee break
16:55 - Insure.hub in Action
17:15 - Sustainable Challenges | Iberian perspectives on how to be progressive with sustainability
Future-Fit Foundation collaborates with INSURE.Hub since the creation of this ecosystem, to bring advanced knowledge in sustainability and restoration. The Galician food cluster has been a member of the Hub since its inception, and Pazo de Vilane, a Galician egg producer, adopted Future-Fit Business some years ago, with the support of Cuatro Tercios consulting firm. To promote a more substantial presence in Spain, the foundation ECODES, headquartered in Zaragoza and with circa 35 years of work in sustainability, was invited to join an Iberian coalition in advanced sustainability and specifically create an Iberian chapter for Future-Fit Business with INSURE.Hub. Members of all these entities reunite on a panel to discuss Iberian challenges in bringing advanced sustainability to organisations.
Moderation: Martin Rich (Future-Fit Foundation)
Speakers: Charles Castro (ECODES) | Eduardo S Arribas (Cuatro Tercios) | António Vasconcelos (INSURE.Hub)
18:00 - Keynote Corner | Regenerative Economics: New Ways of Seeing, Thinking, Being, and Managing for the 21st Century
The context is the polycrisis, or as John prefers, the "Meta-Crisis" rooted in the reductionist logic of Western thinking. John will dig deep past the symptoms of the polycrisis to diagnose the root cause. He will connect our daily challenges to grasp and cope with what he calls the fatal flaw of neoclassical economic theory and its companion, the finance algorithm that guides so much of our 21st-century decision-making. The polycrisis is proof of the falsification of economic theory, not a "market failure" or a "problem to solve" with the same thinking that created it.
He will then offer a hopeful yet scientifically rigorous pathway through this difficult portal to a new worldview, a life-centred worldview aligned with our latest science of quantum entanglement, which affirms and extends the many ancient wisdom traditions that have stood the test of time. What if we understand the human economy as an interdependent, complex living system of relationships to be nurtured rather than merely a complicated machine of parts to be controlled and optimised? What if the path to true abundance is unseen potential yet often hidden in plain sight, notwithstanding the profound challenges we cannot avoid? In advocating for Regenerative Economics, John will present his Eight Principles of Regenerative Vitality, offering all of us as leaders a more accurate compass to navigate the turbulent times that are upon us.
Moderation: Wayne Visser
Speakers: John Fullerton (Capital Institute) | Paulo Azevedo (SONAE)
5th INSURE.Hub Conference closing
19:30 - Conference Gala Diner
> Speakers
- Keynote Corner | Regenerative Economics: New Ways of Seeing, Thinking, Being, and Managing for the 21st Century (October 30)
John Fullerton is the founder of the Capital Institute, a trans-partisan think tank exploring the future of economics and finance informed by the science of living systems. He is the author of the forthcoming Regenerative Economics: Revolutionary Thinking for a World in Crisis (2025). A former Managing Director at JPMorgan, John left Wall Street in 2001 with no plans, yet a burning question in his gut. This question evolved into a search for a new economics aligned with the regenerative process that explains how life works. Recognised as the architect of Regenerative Economics, his work has influenced global discussions on sustainability, finance, and system change, blending deep theoretical insights with practical pathways for a regenerative economy. John is a member of the Club of Rome and was featured in the award-winning documentary Going Circular (2021) with James Lovelock, who first proposed the Gaia hypothesis.
- Keynote Speaker (October 29)
- Workshop I facilitator (October 30)
MIT Sloan School of Management | Professor Emerius
Asia School of Business | Distinguished Visiting Professor
Professor Emeritus at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Asia School of Business (ASB), Kuala Lumpur, Donald Roy Lessard focuses on green infrastructure and sustainable business strategy, drawing on his extensive experience in global strategic management, major engineering projects, and international finance.
He has developed and led Integrative Management at ASB; led the MIT-Bain Executive Education Program on Sustainability in Action; and launched an online course for MIT Professional Education on Sustainable Competitive Strategy. He has also led the development of the five-school energy minor and the MIT Sloan Executive MBA.
He has been teaching, advising, and publishing extensively in academic and professional journals on a variety of topics, including risk management and diversification, mega-project shaping and management, and capabilities and global strategy.
- Round Table | From Knowledge to Action: Linking Science, Policy, and Innovation (October 29)
Executive Board Member at INEGI. Vice-President of the Data Science Portuguese Association (DSPA). She is a guest lecturer at Católica Porto Business School, PBS - Porto Business School and ISEG. Isabel has a degree from FEUP and a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management from FEUP & LUMS - Lancaster University Management School. She has a Post-Doc in Data Science from FEUP & Imperial College London.
Isabel is the author of several publications in the field of machine learning and analytics. She has received several scientific and pedagogical awards and, in 2024, she won the Chief Data & Analytics Officer (CDAO) of the Year award in an initiative that brings together the largest public and private companies in Portugal. He is a speaker at numerous conferences and panels in the area of Data and Artificial Intelligence.
- Round Table | From Knowledge to Action: Linking Science, Policy, and Innovation (October 29)
Lawyer, Partner at Telles Advogados, responsible for the Energy & Natural Resources and Environment & Climate Change Practice areas, providing legal advisory services to public and private entities, with a focus on the development of renewable energy projects, with direct involvement in the entire contractual framework, issuing opinions, hydrogen projects, carbon market, circular economy, water efficiency and water, emission licences, maritime resources, Environmental Impact Assessments and urban mobility.
She is a founder and member of the executive committee of the European Federation for Energy Law (EFELA), founder and vice-president of the Energy Law Association, President of the Plataforma para o Crescimento Sustentável (PCS), co-author of the book Chance to Change, on the impact of the Paris Agreement, and author of several articles and academic publications on energy, as well as a speaker at various conferences on the subject.
- Round Table | From Knowledge to Action: Linking Science, Policy, and Innovation (October 30)
Luís Miguel Silva is a passionate advocate for human-centered innovation, with a background that bridges business strategy, project management, and digital empathy. As co-founder of BrightGroup, he has led initiatives that challenge traditional models of work, communication, and leadership — always with people at the core.Luís brings experience from both the corporate and impact sectors, with deep expertise in iGaming, having worked with global brands and social innovation projects alike.
Beyond his role at BrightGroup, Luís serves as President of Porto Tech Hub, contributing to the growth of Porto’s tech ecosystem, and is also actively involved in the NGO Estou Contigo, helping combat social isolation among the elderly — a cause close to his heart.He holds an MBA from Católica Porto Business School, a DISC certification, and has studied at some of the world’s top institutions, including Harvard and Cornell.
- Workshop II facilitator (October 30)
Co-founder & CEO of Future-Fit Foundation
Sustainability and impact specialist
Martin Rich, Co-founder & CEO of Future-Fit Foundation, is a sustainability and impact specialist with nearly 30 years’ experience in both mainstream and social investment.
Following a successful career in international finance working for UBS, JPMorgan, HSBC and Social Finance Ltd, he co-founded Future-Fit Foundation with a vision to create a truly sustainable future for all. He now works on the cutting-edge of sustainability, helping companies and financial institutions of all sizes address the radical transformation that the future demands of their business models.
Martin is a member of various investment and advisory committees, including for WHEB Asset Management and Vivensa Foundation, and is formerly Senior Independent Trustee for Access Foundation and a member of the Asset Allocation Working Group for the G7 Social Investment Task Force. He holds two Master’s degrees with First and Distinction in Engineering from Queens’ College, Cambridge University.
- Round Table | From Knowledge to Action: Linking Science, Policy, and Innovation ((October 29)
Ecologist from FCUL, with postgraduate degrees in Territorial Planning and Management from NOVA FCSH and in Strategic Sustainability Management from INDEG-IST. He is CEO and co-founder of NBI – Natural Business Intelligence, where he leads projects that integrate ecological value and ecosystem services into business, financial and territorial strategies. He is a guest lecturer in Natural Economics, Ecosystem Services Assessment and Finance for Sustainability in executive and postgraduate programmes at ISEG, INDEG-ISCTE, Porto Business School and Católica Porto.
- Keynote Corner | Regenerative Economics: New Ways of Seeing, Thinking, Being, and Managing for the 21st Century (October 30)
Paulo Azevedo is the Chairman of Sonae, a multinational company managing a diversified portfolio of businesses in retail, telecommunications, software, shopping centers and financial services, BAGlass, a glass container manufacturer in Europe and EFANOR, an investment holding company.
Paulo Azevedo was previously CEO of Sonae for 12 years and prior to that, CEO of Sonaecom and Optimus.
He was also a member of the ERT – European Roundtable for Industry for 13 years having been a member of the Steering Committee and chaired the Jobs, Skills & Impact Working Group and served on the International Advisory Board of Allianz S.E..
Paulo Azevedo has always been active in roles outside his management functions and has expanded these over the last 6 years. He is currently CEO of the Belmiro de Azevedo Foundation, dedicated to education, as well as Biodiversity & Social care for senior citizens. He is involved in Espaço-T, dedicated to fighting social exclusion and Viridia, dedicated to Nature Conservation. He has in the past been involved in several sectorial and general business associations, foundations and academia and was the first Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Porto University. He was Chair of the Installation Committee of BIOPOLIS, an International Centre of Excellence in Environmental Biology, Ecosystem Research and AgroBiodiversity. He is currently invited full professor at Porto University leading a mixed research group on future compatibility of Socio-economic systems and Earth systems.
Besides his degree in Chemical Engineering from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Paulo Azevedo has an MBA from Porto Business School and has several executive courses at leading academic institutions on leadership and sustainability.
Paulo Azevedo is married and has three children, enjoys sport and multiple outdoor activities and is currently dedicating more time to nature conservation and biodiversity.
- Keynote Corner | Regenerative Economics: New Ways of Seeing, Thinking, Being, and Managing for the 21st Century (October 30)
Ricardo Voltolini is the CEO of Ideia Sustentável and one of the pioneers in corporate sustainability in Brazil. He is a specialist in strategy, education, and knowledge management for ESG. As a board member, mentor, professor, and writer, he is the author of 12 books, including “Conversas com Líderes Sustentáveis” and “Vamos Falar de ESG?”. He also serves as curator of the Postgraduate Program in ESG, Leadership, and Innovation at FAAP and as Director of Leadership and Sustainability at ABRH-Brazil.
Most recently, he founded the movement “Marcas que se Importam” (“Brands that Care”), an initiative that highlights organizations integrating purpose into business in a consistent and transformative way, aiming to inspire and foster a new model of corporate leadership.
- Keynote Corner | Regenerative Economics: New Ways of Seeing, Thinking, Being, and Managing for the 21st Century (October 30)
Altri Administrator: People, Sustainability, Risk and Communication
She has a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra and has participated in several executive programmes, namely at the Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics and the Porto Business School. With a professional career spanning around 25 years in the cellulose fibre sector, she began her career at Stora-Cell AB Skutskär, Stora Enso Group, as a process engineer. In 1998, she joined Celulose Beira Industrial (Celbi) S.A., where she held various positions, from Management Systems Engineer to Director of Technical Control and Management Systems, always closely linked to the themes of corporate sustainability, social responsibility and continuous improvement.
> Workshops
OCTOBER 30, 2025
09:30 - Workshop I
Integrated Management in a Radically Changing / Fragmented / Upside Down World | Donald Roy Lessard
In an era marked by rapid technological advances, geopolitical fragmentation, and growing demands for sustainability, traditional business models are under unprecedented pressure. This workshop introduces the concept of integrative strategy as a comprehensive framework for navigating and thriving amidst these transformative forces.
Participants will explore how the dynamic business models that form the core of integrative strategy serve as a guiding vision for organizations and a practical tool for aligning individual roles with overall value creation. By examining the interplay between digital platforms, artificial intelligence, geopolitical shifts, and changing sustainability imperatives, attendees will gain insight into the design of strategic business models that transcend organizational boundaries.
This workshop is especially suited for technology leaders and subject matter experts who aim to proactively shape strategic directions rather than simply adapt to them. Through a combination of theoretical frameworks and real-world applications, participants will be equipped to lead their organizations with agility and foresight in a complex global landscape.
11:30 - Workshop II
Designing A Resilient Business Strategy | Martin Rich
- Explore the steps required to develop a resilient business strategy in the face of today’s environmental, social and technological poly-crisis;
- Learn from case studies of businesses that have utilised the Future-Fit Business Benchmark methodology to help on their resilience journey;
- Participate in a fun interactive activity to bring the lessons of this workshop to life.
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