José Roquette, Founder of Esporão and former student of the School of Economics and Management of the University of Porto (FEP), will receive the FEP Career Award 2023, which will be delivered in the Solemn Session of the School Day, to be held on June 2, at 15h30, in the Main Hall.
This award distinguishes annually a former student of FEP who has distinguished himself/herself by his/her career and, by doing so, has contributed to affirm the School as an institution of excellence in teaching and research in Economics and Management.
José Holtreman Roquette was born in Lisbon on September 22, 1936. He joined FEP in 1953, the year in which the School was created, and left with a degree in Economics in 1958.
In that same year, he started his professional life at Banco Espírito Santo, reaching the Executive Committee in 1968. Later he would be the founder and shareholder of the Espírito Santo Group, a connection that existed until the end of the 1980s.
In 1973, he founded Finagra with Joaquim Bandeira, a company that acquired Herdade do Esporão with the mission of producing high-quality wines in the Alentejo. In 1985, the brand “Esporão” was born with its first vintage. At that time, the decision was taken to build a winery and cellars suited to an ambitious growth plan, targeting innovative environmental criteria, namely impact on the landscape, reduction of pollution and noise, water and energy savings and a safe operating space for all employees.
This first version of what became a sustainability-oriented growth strategy was decisive in establishing Esporão as an innovative brand. In 1992, José Roquette became the sole shareholder and hired a new CEO to help him realize his vision.
In parallel, he developed a career linked to the sporting world, most notably as President of the Portuguese Golf Federation (1981-85) and Sporting Clube de Portugal (1996-2000).
He was honoured in 2006 by the then President of the Republic Jorge Sampaio with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit.
About the FEP Career Award
Launched for the first time in 2011, the FEP Career Award has previously distinguished Daniel Bessa, Rui Rio, Elisa Ferreira, Manuel Oliveira Marques (posthumously), Miguel Cadilhe, Francisco Olazabal, Fernando Teixeira dos Santos, Ricardo Fonseca, Alberto Teixeira, José Pinheiro Pinto, Carlos da Silva Costa and Fernando Gomes.
This year’s jury was composed by the FEP’s Dean (who presides, without the right to vote), by the President of the FEP’s Council of Representatives, Catarina Roseira, by the President of the AAAFEP, Carlos Nunes, and by former students of the School: Ana Cristina Reis, Elisa Perez Babo, Fernando Freire de Sousa, Jose Luis Alvim Marinho and Maria Conceição Vaz Sousa.
