Jorge Jardim Gonçalves
Jorge Manuel Jardim Gonçalves | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 4, 1935 Funchal, Madeira, Portugal |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | President of Banco Comercial Português |
Jorge Manuel Jardim Gonçalves (born 4 October 1935 in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal) is a distinguished figure in the Portuguese banking sector.
Life
The son of entrepreneur Agostinho Carlos Gonçalves and educator Maria Bernardete Estêvão de Sousa Jardim, Jardim Gonçalves spent his early years in Madeira before moving to mainland Portugal to pursue his studies and professional ambitions.
He initially enrolled in Civil Engineering at the University of Coimbra and completed his degree at the University of Porto in 1961. Following an internship on the Funchal Airport expansion project, he was drafted into military service in 1962, where he was deployed to Angola as part of Operação Viriato.
That same year, he wed Maria da Assunção Almeida Osório de Vasconcelos; together, they have five children.
By 1969, Jardim Gonçalves had returned to the University of Porto as a Hydraulics instructor while simultaneously working as an engineer for the Douro shipyards administration. The following year, he transitioned into the banking industry, relocating to Lisbon. In 1974, he secured a position on the board of Banco da Agricultura.
After the Carnation Revolution, he spent time in exile in Madrid from 1975 to 1976, where he held a directorship at Banco Popular Español. During this period, he became affiliated with Opus Dei, a Catholic organization with which he continues to maintain active involvement.
Upon returning to Portugal in 1977, Jardim Gonçalves joined the board of Banco Português do Atlântico at the request of Finance Minister Henrique Medina Carreira. By 1979, he was elected President of its Board and concurrently took on leadership of the Commercial Bank of Macau.
Banco Comercial Português
During the 1980s, Jardim Gonçalves played a key role in founding a new banking entity initially named Banco Comercial do Norte, alongside Américo Amorim, António Gonçalves, and Macedo Silva. The institution was formally launched as Banco Comercial Português in 1985, with Jardim Gonçalves appointed as President. Under his stewardship, the bank expanded significantly by acquiring Banco Português do Atlântico in 1995 and later Bank Mello, Insurance Company Império, and Bank Pinto & Sotto Mayor in 2000. By the end of the decade, Jardim Gonçalves had established himself among Portugal's most powerful business leaders.
He resigned from his role as President of Banco Comercial Português in March 2005, with jurist Paulo Teixeira Pinto succeeding him. In 2008, amid a notable dispute among shareholders that also prompted Teixeira Pinto's exit, Jardim Gonçalves departed from the bank entirely.
Controversy
In 2010, Banco de Portugal imposed a fine of one million euros on Jardim Gonçalves for nine breaches related to financial regulations.
Retirement pension
Following his departure from Banco Comercial Português, Jardim Gonçalves drew media scrutiny over an exceptionally generous retirement pension arranged by the bank through an insurance provider. This package included a monthly payment of €174,857.83, personal security comprising four bodyguards, two chauffeur-driven vehicles, access to a private jet, and five luxury cars with drivers—privileges not extended to other members of the board.
Issue
In 1962, Jorge Jardim Gonçalves married Maria d'Assunção Almeida Osório de Vasconcelos (born 1934), daughter of Fernando Osório de Vasconcelos and Albertina Augusta de Almeida. They have five children:
- Maria Luísa Osório de Vasconcelos Jardim Gonçalves
- Jorge Alberto Osório de Vasconcelos Jardim Gonçalves
- Maria Sofia Osório de Vasconcelos Jardim Gonçalves (born 1964), married to João Afonso Calainho de Azevedo Teixeira Duarte; they have fourteen children.
- Filipe Manuel Osório de Vasconcelos Jardim Gonçalves
- Rodrigo José Osório de Vasconcelos Jardim Gonçalves, married to Joana Mantero Bilbao do Nascimento; they have two children.