At Semapa, everyday life is built through interactions between different generations, departments, and backgrounds. Rosário Eiró, Assistant to Family Office, 60 years old, has been with the holding company for 25 years and knows the environment where everyone crosses paths daily like no one else. João Lopes, Deputy CFO, 48 years old, joined in 2017 and has closely followed the teams’ evolution. At the time of our conversation with Carla Piteira, 34 years old, at Semapa since 2021, she was working as an Accounting and Consolidation Specialist at Semapa. She has since moved to Secil, one of the Group’s portfolio companies, through the internal mobility platform. Joana Corrêa, Group Planning & Strategic Development Associate, is 28 years old and has been part of the team since 2022. Finally, Gonzalo Durán, Spanish national, joined Semapa in 2024 as Investment Director, bringing an international perspective and investment banking experience.

The work environment is valued by all employees. João recalls that when he joined Semapa, “the atmosphere was more institutional than it is now. Today it’s more informal, while maintaining complete professionalism.” Rosário, who has always been used to direct contact with the founding family, emphasizes that “there’s a shared purpose, a concern for people and wellbeing that has always existed.” Carla, after experiences at companies of different sizes, identifies in the holding company “an almost family-like atmosphere, because we’re not that many and you can feel it.” Gonzalo highlights the difference: “The atmosphere is much more close-knit and relaxed than what I was used to.”

Day-to-day life at Semapa is never routine. Carla describes: “The days are always very intense, with deadlines to meet. But it’s a positive kind of intensity that helps us grow.” Joana, who previously worked at a consulting firm, notes that her current role “involves more multitasking. The challenge is managing several topics at once, with very different teams and people.” Meanwhile, the interaction between different ages and backgrounds is seen as a source of learning. Carla feels that “learning from colleagues from various generations brings professional and personal growth.” Rosário adds: “The world moves very fast nowadays, and younger people are much better prepared for that speed. We have to keep up, but we’re still learning what they were born knowing.” Gonzalo concludes: “It’s very interesting to work with different generations.”

João reinforces that diversity is a daily reality at Semapa. “There’s a very strong collaborative spirit at Semapa. Even people who joined recently integrate quickly.” Carla observes that when she joined Semapa, there were few people her age, but over time younger profiles have been integrated, which enables mutual learning. Joana, the youngest of the five employees, stresses that at Semapa “there’s always openness to assign responsibility regardless of age. What matters is the ability to deliver.”

Professional development at Semapa often comes from employees’ own initiative. Carla, for example, took on new responsibilities after a restructuring: “I saw these positions were open, showed interest, and the company trusted me with those tasks.” The Commitment Plan, launched by the Talent Department, allowed her to identify skills to develop and get concrete support to achieve her goals. Joana also highlights the importance of internal mobility and the Grow with Semapa platform: “This platform gives us the opportunity to explore new careers and expand our horizons within the Group. It’s a way to grow professionally without leaving the Group.”

In Gonzalo’s words, “at Semapa there’s genuine concern for employee wellbeing, whether at the holding company or at any of the Group’s companies. We’re always looking for ways to improve, whether in how we work, how different people and teams are integrated, or how we bring the various group companies together to create an environment where everyone feels valued.”

“Making it Better,” the Semapa Group’s shared purpose, is recognized as a common thread. Joana observes that initiatives like the “Making it Better” week helped raise awareness of the purpose, making it more present in daily life. João interprets it as a constant pursuit of excellence: “Making it Better is always trying to outdo ourselves. It’s seeking to do better, to reinvent ourselves.”

Rosário Eiró sums it up: “What is purpose? Purpose is all of us who created it. Regardless of age, experience, or tenure, the purpose is there—it’s a group of people who shaped it.”

Voices like those of Rosário, João, Gonzalo, Carla, and Joana—with different ages, roles, and career paths—reflect what it’s like to work at Semapa: a space where challenge, collaboration, and the drive to always do better come together every day.