On November 1st, 2023, Alcino Lavrador stepped down from the position of General Manager at Altice Labs, with João Paulo Firmeza succeeding him. The announcement was formally made by Ana Figueiredo, CEO of Altice Portugal, during a meeting held on October 20th at the auditorium of the rectory of the Universidade de Aveiro.
Alcino Lavrador began an inspiring career in 1985 at CET (Centro de Estudos de Telecomunicações), later renamed PT Inovação/Altice Labs, where he assumed the executive presidency 15 years ago. In a speech that left the audience emotional, he emphasized that people had always been his priority and expressed the privilege “of working with brilliant, immensely talented individuals” from whom he learned a lot. He also offered words of motivation to his successor and asked everyone to remain united in this new cycle. “The first time we held a general meeting, in 2008, I was terrified because I didn’t know if I would be up to the challenge. But all I had to do was look at you, look into your eyes, and see that you were with me to put my mind at rest. And that’s what I ask of you as well: to rally around Firmeza and give him strength in this initial moment, because he needs to feel that you’re all together. (…) There is a whole legacy that allows us to say that we are ready for the future. We are ready for the challenges that lie ahead. The future is in good hands,” he said.
João Paulo Firmeza, who has taken on the role of Director of Innovation Strategy and Digital at Altice Labs since 2020, after leading Open Labs in Brazil, will now lead Altice Labs. “I am fully aware of the enormous responsibility it is to continue a winning project that is now recognized nationally and internationally,” he said. In the words of Ana Figueiredo, the new general manager “has unparalleled knowledge of the sector and of our group, where he has held management roles in Portugal and Brazil. He is the right professional to take on this great challenge”.
Together, we are on our way to the future and will continue to lead innovation from Portugal to the world.