Paulo Portas holds a degree in Law from the Portuguese Catholic University. He was a co-founder of O Independente. He served as Minister of State and Foreign Affairs and as Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2015, as well as Minister of State and National Defense from 2002 to 2005. He led the CDS party for 16 years, becoming one of the youngest and longest-serving party leaders in Portugal. He was elected Member of Parliament in seven legislatures.

Paulo Portas founded Vinciamo Consulting, a strategic consulting firm operating in Europe, the Gulf, Africa, and Latin America. He is a Professor of Geo-Economics and International Relations at Nova SBE, also teaching in Madrid, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. He is Vice President of the Lisbon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP), an entrepreneur and consultant, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Champalimaud Foundation.

Since 2023, he has been a Non-Executive Director at Mota-Engil and an *Honorary Member* of the Académie du Royaume du Maroc. He is also the creator of the television program *Global*. Paulo Portas is fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, and Italian, both spoken and written.