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Investment and Continuous Training: The Belmiro de Azevedo Model for Corporate Sustainability

Investment and Continuous Training: The Belmiro de Azevedo Model for Corporate Sustainability
Written by
Oporto Forte Group
Published on 06 Aug 2024

Even after his passing, Belmiro de Azevedo left a legacy in terms of management and leadership at Sonae. His first contact with the company was not positive: he described it as "finding too many gadgets" and "I just couldn't understand how a banker managed to put money there, because it didn't make any sense," so his first focus "was to undo it all".

Given this scenario, the question arises: how did Belmiro de Azevedo manage to elevate the brand to what it is today?

His vision was simple and focused on the objectives proposed for the company, based on the belief that human capital was the most valuable resource of an organization.

In this sense, the former leader of the Sonae Group implemented a set of initiatives that reflected his vision:

Investment in Professional Training

Belmiro de Azevedo believed that investing in employee training not only increased productivity but also fostered innovation within the company.

As such, the Sonae Group implemented a human resources policy that made professional training a strategic priority. It invested in training and professional development programs that encompassed specific technical skills and interpersonal skills, such as leadership and management.

These programs were designed to ensure that employees were always up to date with the latest trends and changes, capable of responding to market demands and new technologies.

Learning Culture

The learning culture promoted by the former leader of the Sonae Group emphasized that continuous learning should be a shared responsibility between the company and its employees.

This mindset created a more dynamic and adaptable work environment, encouraging employees to continuously improve their skills, enhancing performance.

Management was encouraged to lead by example, also participating in training programs and motivating their teams to do the same.

Customized Training

Corporate University

Belmiro de Azevedo supported the establishment of a corporate university for Sonae, which served as a means of learning and development for all its employees. It was an important milestone in consolidating the training and development strategy, enabling a variety of courses that met the immediate needs of the company and the long-term aspirations of its employees.

With a broad educational offering, ranging from technical courses to advanced management modules, the corporate university became a central pillar in the professional development structure of the group.

As an alternative to the corporate university, many companies choose to acquire digital academies through other organizations.

Oporto Forte Digital Academy

Innovation and Competitiveness

With the vision that innovation was directly influenced by employee empowerment, the Sonae Group changed its market approach.

Continuous training was seen as a strategic investment that could lead to innovations providing a competitive advantage to the Sonae Group over its competitors.

The company led in innovation, developing new products, services, and processes that differentiated the group, reinforcing its market position and attracting strategic partners and new business opportunities.

Business Development

Valuing Human Resources

Belmiro de Azevedo emphasized that employees should be seen as business partners, advocating that respect and appreciation of employees were essential for business success.

As a result, a sense of belonging and commitment was created that transcended the traditional work environment. This mutual respect between management and employees helped foster a more collaborative and innovative work environment, where everyone felt motivated to contribute to the company's collective success.

Human Resources Services

Belmiro de Azevedo's leadership was marked by a progressive vision of people management, where continuous development was a central pillar. This approach demonstrated how a commitment to employee training can effectively transform a company, making it more competitive, innovative, and adapted to the demands of the global market.