Belmiro de Azevedo
Belmiro de Azevedo | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Marco de Canaveses, Portugal |
| Died | November 29, 2017 (aged 79) Porto, Portugal |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Majority owner of Sonae SGPS |
Belmiro Mendes de Azevedo (17 February 1938 – 29 November 2017) was a prominent Portuguese businessman, recognized by Forbes in 2008 as the 605th wealthiest individual worldwide and the third richest in Portugal, with an estimated net worth of US$2 billion. He possessed a majority ownership in Sonae SGPS, one of Portugal’s foremost corporate conglomerates, with operations extending into Spain, Greece, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Brazil.
Sonae is a leader in the real estate and retail sectors and has broadened its portfolio to include telecommunications, tourism, venture capital, and media enterprises. In 2006, the company attempted a hostile takeover of Portugal Telecom (PT), the country’s primary telecommunications provider, but the bid was ultimately unsuccessful.
Born to a carpenter and tailor in Marco de Canaveses, Azevedo earned a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Porto and later completed an MBA at Harvard University.
His stake in Sonae originated from acquiring shares from the estate of banker Afonso Pinto de Magalhães, whose bank had full ownership of Sonae. Magalhães appointed Azevedo to manage Sonae during the challenging period following the 1974 Carnation Revolution, when the company was nationalized by the Portuguese Government. Azevedo’s effective leadership in sustaining the business and regaining control prompted Magalhães’ family to transfer ownership to him after a legal dispute with the banker’s heirs.
He was married to Maria Margarida Carvalhais Teixeira and fathered three children: Duarte Paulo Teixeira de Azevedo, who succeeded him at the helm of the company; Maria Cláudia Teixeira de Azevedo; and Nuno Miguel Teixeira de Azevedo, who also participates in managing family enterprises.
Azevedo passed away on 29 November 2017 at CUF Hospital located in Porto.
External links
- 1938 births
- 2017 deaths
- Portuguese businesspeople
- Harvard Business School alumni
- Portuguese billionaires
- University of Porto alumni
- Portuguese expatriates in the United States
- Portuguese chemical engineers
- 20th-century Portuguese businesspeople
- 21st-century Portuguese businesspeople
- People from Marco de Canaveses